Dengue, Dust and Despair: The Hidden Toll on Health

The document outlines how climate change increases the prevalence of climate-sensitive diseases and strains health infrastructure, particularly in lower-income areas and along the U.S.-Mexico border. It highlights the risks faced by migrants and local populations, including heatstroke, Valley fever, and mosquito-borne illnesses, while suggesting specific reporting angles and expert resources.

• Climate change is causing a global increase in climate-sensitive diseases, including cholera, dengue, and respiratory infections associated with dust and wildfires, which disproportionately affects lower-income countries with fragile health infrastructure.
• In the U.S.-Mexico border region, extreme heat and dry soils are contributing to a rise in Valley fever, while southern Texas and northern Mexico are seeing more frequent cases of mosquito-borne illnesses such as chikungunya and dengue.
• Migrants facing drought and disaster-related loss encounter severe health risks during their journey North, including dehydration and heatstroke, and often avoid medical care upon arriving in the U.S. due to costs or fear of deportation.
• Health infrastructure in rural or depressed border areas is struggling to manage climate impacts, with power outages and a lack of cooling systems increasing risks for both patients and medical staff during heatwaves.

APA

CCNow (2025). Dengue, Dust and Despair: The Hidden Toll on Health. Covering Climate Now. https://coveringclimatenow.org/from-us-story/dengue-dust-and-dispair-the-hidden-toll-on-health/

Chicago

CCNow. Dengue, Dust and Despair: The Hidden Toll on Health. Covering Climate Now, 2025. https://coveringclimatenow.org/from-us-story/dengue-dust-and-dispair-the-hidden-toll-on-health/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=CCNow |title=Dengue, Dust and Despair: The Hidden Toll on Health |publisher=Covering Climate Now |date=23 April 2025 |url=https://coveringclimatenow.org/from-us-story/dengue-dust-and-dispair-the-hidden-toll-on-health/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ccnow2025dengue, author = {CCNow}, title = {{Dengue, Dust and Despair: The Hidden Toll on Health}}, institution = {Covering Climate Now}, year = {2025}, month = apr, url = {https://coveringclimatenow.org/from-us-story/dengue-dust-and-dispair-the-hidden-toll-on-health/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }