The early history of dengue in Australia

Abstract

Although reports of outbreaks of dengue-like diseases in the Asia Pacific region were frequent from about 1870, the disease probably did not become endemic in Australia until about 1885. Several seminal discoveries about this disease were made in Queensland and later in Sydney. These included a refined case definition for dengue, identification of the mosquito vector, demonstration of a viraemia and its duration, quantification of the incubation time, demonstration of immunity after experimental infection and recognition that the virus could cause a fatal haemorrhagic fever, and this was more frequent in second or subsequent infections. Australian research was foundational to the modern understanding of dengue.