Dengue Fever: A Threat to Billions

Abstract

Dengue fever, labeled by the WHO as the most critical mosquito-borne disease in the world, is a prevalent global issue. 40% of the world’s population, roughly 3 billion people, are at risk of contracting dengue. It infects up to 390 million people annually: a 30-fold increase over the past 50 years. The virus, DENV, has four serotypes, meaning one person could potentially be infected four separate times (World Mosquito Program, 2020). While the disease usually causes flu-like symptoms, a variation called severe dengue claims about 20% of those infected. Around 25,000 deaths are reported world-wide annually (WHO, 2019).