Increasing global temperatures wrought by greenhouse gas emissions have boosted the number of dengue cases, new research shows.

Dengue fever has spread at alarming rates this year. New research attributes nearly a fifth of the existing dengue burden to climate change.

Climate change is responsible for nearly a fifth of the record number of dengue cases worldwide this year, US researchers said on Saturday, seeking to shine a light on how rising temperatures help spread disease.

It’s been a record year for dengue infections, and amidst the surge in cases, researchers have been trying to pinpoint the causes. Now, a new study suggests that climate change is responsible for 19 percent of the current global dengue burden – and could soar as high as 60 percent if nothing is done to combat global warming.