(June 22): Getting people to hunker down at home has helped stem the coronavirus pandemic, but in parts of Southeast Asia, it’s spurred another potentially deadly disease: dengue.
The mosquito-borne viral illness, sometimes known as break-bone fever because of the joint-pain it inflicts, has skyrocketed in the tropical region just as the usual dengue-spreading season begins. Singapore reported an average of 165 cases a day in the week through June 13, a record which authorities said may herald the largest dengue outbreak in the city-state’s history.
