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Dengue Fever
Dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) are caused by one
of four closely related, but antigenically distinct, virus serotypes (DEN-1,
DEN-2, DEN-3, and DEN-4), of the genus Flavivirus. Infection with one
of these serotypes does not provide cross-protective immunity, so persons
living in a dengue-endemic area can have four dengue infections during their
lifetimes. Dengue is primarily a disease of the tropics, and the viruses that
cause it are maintained in a cycle that involves humans and
Aedes aegypti, a domestic, day-biting
mosquito that prefers to feed on humans. Infection with dengue viruses
produces a spectrum of clinical illness ranging from a nonspecific viral
syndrome to severe and fatal hemorrhagic disease. Important risk factors for
DHF include the strain and serotype of the infecting virus, as well as the
age, immune status, and genetic predisposition of the patient.
History of Dengue Fever
The first reported epidemics of dengue fever occurred in
1779-1780 in Asia, Africa, and North America; the near simultaneous occurrence
of outbreaks on three continents indicates that these viruses and their
mosquito vector have had a worldwide distribution in the tropics for more than
200 years. During most of this time, dengue fever was considered a benign,
nonfatal disease of visitors to the tropics. Generally, there were long
intervals (10-40 years) between major epidemics, mainly because the viruses
and their mosquito vector could only be transported between population centers
by sailing vessels.
A global pandemic of dengue began in Southeast Asia after
World War II and has intensified during the last 15 years. Epidemics caused by
multiple serotypes (hyperendemicity) are more frequent, the geographic
distribution of dengue viruses and their mosquito vectors has expanded, and
DHF has emerged in the Pacific region and the Americas. In Southeast Asia,
epidemic DHF first appeared in the 1950s, but by 1975 it had become a leading
cause of hospitalization and death among children in many countries in that
region.
More info here
www.cdc.gov
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