Dengue fever cases 'have more than doubled in the last decade'

London, Oct 17 (ANI): The World Health Organization (WHO) has revealed that the number of dengue fever cases has more than doubled over the past 10 years.

Dengue is a serious flu-like illness that is transmitted by mosquitoes, and can develop into dengue haemorrhagic fever, which can be fatal. The disease is spread by the aedes aegypti mosquito.

The UN health agency has warned that dengue outbreaks are now a major threat to global public health, reports the BBC.

Two fifths of the world's population are at risk of the disease, with the majority living in the Asia Pacific region.

The WHO has warned that the increased number and size of dengue outbreaks in some countries in the Western Pacific region, as well as cases recorded in previously unaffected areas, are signs that firmer action cannot be delayed.

The WHO's regional director for the Western Pacific, Dr Shin Young-soo, said: "National resources need to be mobilized to sustain dengue prevention and control, and the disease's profile needs to be raised on the global health agenda to stimulate the interest of international agencies and donors."

The number of cases in the Western Pacific Region has more than doubled over the past 10 years. (ANI)