Fumigation in Buenos Aires.

Vector-borne diseases a risk in Buenos Aires

Plagues of mosquitoes have recently descended upon Buenos Aires (Argentina), a result of hot weather and high humidity.

While originally feared to be carriers of dengue fever, a potentially lethal desease, the mosquitoes have been found to be a more common species. These more common species, however, have still been known to carry West Nile Virus, so city officials are monitoring the situation carefully.

The spread of vector-borne diseases is one of the impacts of climate change. ICLEI’s Cities for Climate Protection^® (CCP) Campaign is an innovative international campaign that helps local government and their communities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and their impact on the environment. For more information, please visit www.iclei.org/ccp.

Buenos Aires is one of 25 local governments in Latin America and the Caribbean that are currently Members of ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability. For more information on ICLEI and its projects in Latin America and the Caribbean, please visit www.iclei.org/lacs.

Source: “Unwelcome Visitors”, Buenos Aires: The Economist, March 2007.

- - -