Breakbone fever.  La quebradora.  “Chinese medicine poisoning.”  These are just some the names that dengue has gone by, as it has spread across the globe in a seemingly endless expansion over the past decades.  “Bedeviled by Dengue,” published by The Scientist Magazine last Friday, explores the spread of dengue and the efforts to combat it – from vaccines to vector control. “As research efforts have evolved, so has the reach of...

  As the global burden of dengue grows, so too does the realization of just how little information we have on the toll of the disease.  And with the advent of a vaccine growing near, countries are beginning to ask, “How much does dengue cost?” as they consider whether or not to introduce a vaccine. In response to the growing need to answer the question of cost in order to weigh the benefits of future introduction of vaccines against dengue, the International Vaccine Access...

By Alyah Khan The tremendous scope of the dengue problem becomes clear when you consider the number of places where the virus is present. According to an update posted at the end of November by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, dengue cases have been reported in all tropical and many subtropical areas worldwide. This includes the following regions of the world: Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands, the Atlantic Islands, the South Pacific and Southeast Asia, the Americas and...

By Alyah Khan In countries around the world, dengue is becoming an increasing problem. India, for example, has recorded over 35,000 dengue cases so far this year, according to news reports. Government officials in India attribute the dengue outbreak to unprecedented growth in population, unplanned rapid urbanization and inadequate waste management.  Much of the discussion about dengue centers on the challenges it presents. But it’s equally important to discuss the ways in which the...