Dengue

“With more than one-third of the world’s population living in areas at risk for transmission, dengue infection is a leading cause of illness and death in the tropics and subtropics. As many as 100 million people are infected yearly. Dengue is caused by any one of four related viruses transmitted by mosquitoes.

There are not yet any vaccines to prevent infection with dengue virus and the most effective protective measures are those that avoid mosquito bites. When infected, the early recognition and prompt supportive treatment can substantially lower the risk of developing severe disease.” (Source:  Centers for Disease Control)

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Dengue, also known as Break Bone Fever due to the pain it causes, “is transmitted by the bite of an Aedes mosquito infected with any one of the four dengue viruses. Symptoms appear in 3–14 days (average 4–7 days) after the infective bite. Dengue fever is a severe, flu-like illness that affects infants, young children and adults. There is no specific treatment for dengue fever. Dengue hemorrhagic fever is a potentially lethal complication but early clinical diagnosis and careful clinical management by experienced physicians and nurses often save lives.

More than 70% of the disease burden is in South-East Asia and the Western Pacific area. Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean are much less affected. In Latin America and the Caribbean, the incidence and severity of disease are increasing rapidly. Increase in international air travel is facilitating the rapid global movement of dengue viruses. This increases the risk of dengue hemorrhagic fever epidemics by introducing new dengue viruses into susceptible populations."