The History of Dengue in the United States and its Recent Emergence

Abstract

Dengue virus (DENV) is the most common and widespread vector-borne arbovirus in the world, and over the past 30 years, there has been a dramatic increase in incidence and geographic spread. Considering the difficulty of preventing infections and consequence of severe disease, it is important to reflect on the history of dengue in the United States and focus attention on its recent re-emergence. In this paper, we report the historical significance of dengue outbreaks in the USA between 1780 and 1945, along with the elimination strategies of the vector mosquito, Aedes aegypti. We then detail the re-emergence of dengue into the USA between 1999 and today and discuss future strategies for detection and control.