Dengue fever

The current global distribution of dengue fever (after WHO)

Dengue fever and dengue haemorragic fever (DHF) are mosquito borne viral diseases caused by viruses of the genus Flavivirus (family Flaviviridae). They are spread by the day feeding female Aedes aegypti mosquito.

There were an estimated 50 million cases every year, with 500 000 cases of dengue haemorrhagic fever and 22,000 deaths mainly among children
Dengue haemorrhagic fever is a leading cause of serious illness and death among children in some Asian countries.

Global incidence of dengue has grown dramatically in recent decades, and explosive outbreaks are occurring. Before 1970 only nine countries had experienced DHF epidemics, a number that had increased more than four-fold by 1995 and is continuing to rise.

About two fifths of the world's population in tropical and sub-tropical climates worldwide, mostly in urban and semi-urban areas, are now at risk.

There is no specific treatment for dengue, but appropriate medical care frequently saves the lives of patients with the more serious dengue haemorrhagic fever.

The only way to prevent dengue virus transmission is to combat the disease-carrying mosquitoes.