Dengue is escalating

Dengue viruses cause an estimated 50-100 million illnesses a year, including 250 000 to 500 000 cases of dengue haemorrhagic fever. The Aedes aegypti mosquito is the principal vector; it prefers to feed on human blood and has a bite that is almost imperceptible. Robert Gibbons and David Vaughn (p 1563) review the five clinical presentations of dengue, their treatment, and their prevention. Until the Aedes mosquito is controlled or a vaccine is made available, the prevalence of dengue, they say, will escalate.

(Credit: RENZO GOSTOLI/AP PHOTO)

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