Are mosquitoes the cause of the next pandemic? What's happening in Brazil

Dengue in Brazil is scary and the WHO has raised the alarm: the next pandemic could be caused by mosquitoes, with the world only now trying to restart after the dark period of Covid which caused a total of 7 million deaths.
The numbers coming from Brazil are worrying: 1.5 million infections and almost 400 deaths confirmed since the beginning of the year due to dengue, although the health authorities are reportedly investigating another 800 suspected deaths.
The incidence rate of dengue in Brazil is 757.5 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, with an average of around 20,000 new cases recorded every day: at this rate, according to the Ministry of Health, infections could soon reach 5 million.
As if that wasn't enough, there is also alarm over the increase in cases of zika and chikungunya, two other viral diseases also transmitted by mosquitoes, more precisely Aedes Egypti.
Dendue, zika and chikungunya are diseases that have long been known in Italy too, with climate changes having created the conditions for a greater proliferation of mosquitoes, so much so that in recent months our Ministry of Health, through a circular, has raised the level of alert and surveillance by providing disinfection operations in ports and airports.
Brazil, the WHO and mosquitoes: do we risk a new pandemic? Brazil as the new China.
This would be the WHO's fear given the increase in dengue cases in the South American country.
The fear of experts is that the new "disease “I'm not that pessimistic, but the possibility exists, the hypothesis holds up – Paolo Gabrieli, professor of Zoology at the State University of Milan, told Adnkronos Salute regarding a possible next pandemic caused by mosquitoes -.
We shouldn't be alarmist.
We are in the realm of possibility, but the possibilities are certainly there." In the first two months of the year, 48 cases of dengue were recorded in Italy, all imported.
In 2023, however, there were 362 cases in our country, 82 of which were indigenous.
Dengue fever is a tropical infectious disease transmitted by mosquitoes of the Aedes genus.
The symptoms are similar to those of the flu: fever, headache, nausea and muscle and joint pain.
It is a disease typical of tropical countries, with a mortality rate that is not particularly high and is around 1%.
However, the disease can also manifest itself in a severe form called hemorrhagic dengue.
What is happening in Brazil would be causing an acceleration regarding a vaccine for dengue fever, recently approved in Italy and which should soon be available.