- by Gary Finnegan
The unique characteristics of dengue fever mean the dengue vaccine is different to other vaccines, according to an expert from The Philippines Most vaccines are given to infants before they are exposed to a disease-causing virus or bacteria. Dengue is different. Because the disease can…
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- by Gary Finnegan
We speak to Mauricio Santillana, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard University, about his new paper on the use of Google searches in disease surveillance. Not only are search engines a vital tool for fighting dengue, they connect the community in a novel way, opening the…
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- by Gary Finnegan
The number of dengue fever publications has grown strongly since 1960. According to an analysis of PubMed, performed by Break Dengue, just five search results were returned for ‘dengue fever’ in the year 1960. This rose gently until the late 1990s when the graph turned…
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- by Alison
Estimating the economic cost of dengue has never been easy. After all, in addition to the cost borne by public healthcare systems, there’s also families’ economic loss to consider. And for patients who don’t attend health facilities, the disease and its cost often remain hidden.…
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- by Gary Finnegan
The impact of a second dengue infection can be amplified due to antibodies produced to fight off an earlier infection. That’s why dengue vaccination may be best for those who have already recovered from the disease. ‘Antibody enhancement’ may sound like technical medical jargon but…
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- by Mauro Abati
Happy new year? Not for Rodrigo Buffarah Coelho, a 38-year old port terminal manager from Paranaguá in the Brazilian state of Paraná. His encounter with a mosquito at a New Year’s Eve party made him another high-profile victim of dengue in Paranaguá, a city hitting…
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- by Alison
A dengue outbreak in Burkina Faso that began in early August has resulted in more than 12,000 infections and 24 deaths. The country’s National Epidemic Management Committee is addressing the inadequate dengue surveillance and limited access to dengue diagnostics tools. But this outbreak is very…
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- by Gary Finnegan
Down with dengue in Mumbai When Gayatri Rangachari Shah was bitten by a mosquito she knew she was at risk of dengue fever. Soon she began to feel weak and in pain. It wasn’t long before she was in hospital. Residents have become accustomed to…
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- by Alison
Hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons and other natural disasters continue to claim their victims long after they strike. Weeks and even months after their initial devastation, disaster-hit areas face a rise in cases of dengue fever and other vector-borne diseases. With a series of natural disasters…
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- by Alison
In the first article in our two-part series on Wolbachia, we looked at how Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes hold the key to reducing dengue outbreaks. In fact, an increasing number of communities across Asia are embarking on Wolbachia programs. In this second article, we compare the differences…
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