The World Health Organization has warned that half of the world population is at risk of contracting the mosquito-borne dengue virus.

WHO's unit head on tropical diseases Raman Velayudhan told a UN press briefing in Geneva that WHO recorded an eightfold increase in dengue cases between years 2000-2022.

He said dengue is a serious illness, which is most commonly a viral infection spread through the bites of mosquitoes from one person to the other.