Dengue - The Breakbone Fever: A Crisis within a Crisis

Abstract

Dengue is one of the most critical and rapidly spreading vector borne disease in the world. It is caused by an RNA virus that belongs to the Flaviviridae family. The dengue virus is transmitted by mosquitoes (arthropods) and thus is an arbovirus. Dengue spreads through the bite of female Aedes mosquitoes. Aedes mosquitoes also serve as vectors of chikungunya, yellow fever and Zika viruses. The symptoms may range from asymptomatic fever to dreaded complications such as hemorrhagic fever and shock. Dengue is an endemic disease, which means that it occurs regularly, in tropical regions of the world. According to World Health Organization (WHO), almost half of the world’s population lives in areas with a risk of contracting dengue virus [1]. The risk of contracting dengue infection has increased dramatically since the 1940s. This upward trend is due to increases in long-distance travel, population growth and urbanization, lack of sanitation, ineffective mosquito control, and increases in the surveillance and official reporting of dengue cases.