Dengue fever spreading in Asia

The number of dengue fever cases is on the rise. Indonesia and Thailand lead the ranks in Asia. Due in part to what Friedman would call a hot, flat and crowded world–higher temperatures, accessible borders, and growing populations–dengue fever is now more transmissible than ever. The female Aedes mosquitoes breed in areas of standing water and are said to be attracted to darker colors. For a case closer to home, read OnEarth’s cover story about the rise of dengue fever in Matamoros, right across the US border at Brownsville, TX.