There is high risk of dengue fever spread in Iran, WHO announces

The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that there is a high risk of further spread of dengue fever in Iran, where the number of detected cases of the disease has increased from 2 to 12 between June 14 and July 17.

Iranian authorities reported their first two cases of dengue on June 14, the WHO headquarters in Geneva said.

"Local transmission of dengue within the community was confirmed in Bandar-Lengheh, Hormozgan Province, southern Iran," the WHO said in a statement. " As of 17 July 2024, the total number of locally acquired (autochthonous) dengue cases in the country has risen to 12, all reported in Bandar-Lengheh."

Previously, the WHO had highly assessed the risk of dengue spreading in the world, stressing that it is a global threat to public health.

"The risk for Iran is also high due to the presence of the vector in the country, favourable climate conditions for the vector and the movement of people from countries with ongoing dengue outbreaks and endemic areas to Iran," the WHO said.

It explained that the disease has” the potential to cause a serious public health impact."

“The primary vectors that transmit the disease are mosquitos of the Aedes genus, primarily Aedes aegypti and, to a lesser extent, Aedes albopictus,” the WHO added.

Iran's ministry of health "has enacted measures to strengthen hospital readiness."

For its part, the WHO is supporting Iran's ministry of health “to enhance surveillance, distributing medical and rapid diagnostic supplies, providing training, and organizing risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) activities.”

Dengue is a viral infection that is prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions. Its symptoms are high fever, nausea, rash, headache, and back pain. Hemorrhagic fever is accompanied by severe internal bleeding caused by the collapse of blood vessels. About 3.8 billion people live in endemic countries—most of them in Asia, Africa, and the Americas. The WHO says the case is likely to increase in numbers and spread geographically due to climate change and urbanization.

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