Key Points
In close-up, the black and white markings of Aedes albopictus are quite striking, but the tiger mosquito can be deadly and is one of two insects behind the rapid rise of dengue fever across the globe...
In October, the WHOs Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned the spread was an alarming trend that demands a coordinated response across sectors and across borders...
Its thought that more than 4 billion people, or around half the worlds population, are currentlyat risk from mosquito-borne infections, including dengue, Zika and chikungunya, which are known as arboviruses and this is estimated to rise to 5 billion by 2050...
Dengue cases have also grown as urbanization (particularly unplanned) grows, bringing people further into mosquito habitats, and aspeople travel more internationallyto places where its more common and then unwittingly spread the virus...
The WHO launched a global strategic plan in October 2024 to addressdengue and other Aedes-borne arboviruses, which called for all stakeholders to join forces, as well as $55 million in funding to support health preparedness, readiness and response efforts...
