Dengue Fever in Europe and USA

Today, people are not the only creatures traveling northward and crossing borders—dangerous mosquitos are also coming! Mosquitos carrying diseases formerly seen only in tropical regions are now moving into Europe and the United States (The Telegraph, September 24, 2024). The mild form of dengue fever causes high fever, headache, body aches, nausea, and rash. However, the more severe form causes hemorrhagic fever, or severe internal bleeding, which, without treatment, is fatal in 50 percent of cases.

Earlier this summer, public health officials identified a unique dengue fever outbreak in northern Italy, infecting 25 people. Now, a small outbreak has occurred in Los Angeles. Although only three people in California have been infected so far, one public official noted, “Local dengue cases in LA are the canary in the coalmine indicating that this has truly come. Once Aedes [the mosquito carrying dengue fever] have expanded their range, there’s no turning back.” Historically, dengue fever outbreaks in northern nations only occurred when infected people returned from high-risk tropical regions, bringing a dengue infection back with them. That is no longer the case. These new, small outbreaks are caused by local mosquitos, meaning the Aedes mosquito territory is moving northwards. Not only can these mosquitos carry dengue fever, but they can also carry yellow fever, Zika, and Chikungunya. Dr. Danny Altmann, Professor of Immunology at Imperial College London, warned, “If dengue is being transmitted locally, there’s no reason why the others can’t be.”

As global threats increase, it should be noted that Jesus revealed to the Apostle John that, before His return, pestilences and spreading disease epidemics, symbolized by an ominous rider on a pale horse, would ravage the world—and that “beasts of the earth” would contribute to widespread death at the end of the age (Revelation 6:8). While mosquitos are tiny, seemingly innocuous “beasts,” they can carry a very deadly payload. We need to take note of what these tiny canaries in the coalmine are doing. To learn what lies ahead, read “Coming Plagues: The Pale Horse.”