AN 18th century virus that causes vomiting, bleeding gums and pain behind the eyes is on the rise.
There has been an “unprecedented” surge of dengue fever cases in the past 20 years, meaning it is now considered a “substantial” health threat.
AFPDengue fever patients at he Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh in October 2023[/caption]
The infection spreads by mosquitoes and is more common in tropical parts of the world, including Africa, Asia, Central and South America, the Caribbean, the Pacific islands and some southern areas of North America.
However, disease-ridden critters have been spotted across Europe, with recorded cases in countries such as Italy, France and Spain.
There was a 10-fold surge in reported cases globally between 2000 and 2019, increasing from 500,000 to a record-breaking 5.2million.
The year 2019 marked an “unprecedented peak”, with dengue reported in 129 countries.
Around 5,000 related deaths are now recorded each year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), with more than five million cases in 2023.
After the “unexpected” rise, experts now say the global threat of dengue is “high”.
A WHO spokesperson said: “The global incidence of dengue has markedly increased over the past two decades, posing a substantial public health challenge.
“Since the beginning of 2023, ongoing transmission, combined with an unexpected spike in dengue cases, have resulted in close to a historic high of over five million cases and more than 5,000 dengue-related deaths reported in over 80 countries or territories.
“We assessed the risk to be high globally, considering the increasing risk of transmission and the upsurge of cases and deaths.
“Simultaneous outbreaks across multiple regions strain the capacity for epidemic response.”
The UN agency blames “fragile health systems” during Covid, political and financial instability, increased travel, and heavy rainfall and increased humidity as a result of climate change.
Dengue fever is a member of the Flaviviridae family, and is transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.
The earliest descriptions of an outbreak surfaced in the late 1700s.
Further outbreaks occurred in the 19th century, before becoming more widespread in the last 150 years.
Today, this virus is responsible for more disease and deaths than any other illness spread to people by insects, according to Dengue Virus Disease.
About half of the world’s population is now at risk, with 100 to 400 million infections occurring each year, the WHO estimates.
AFPDengue fever sufferers receive treatment at Mugda Medical College and Hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh in October 2023[/caption]
AFPA health brigade member fumigates a street against dengue on the hills of the San Juan de Lurigancho district in Lima, Peru, in May 2023[/caption]
GettyPeople sleeping inside a mosquito net to protect themselves during an outbreak in Dhaka, Bangladesh, in December 2023[/caption]
Dengue is endemic, meaning it occurs regularly, in over 100 countries across Africa, the Americas, the Eastern Mediterranean, South-East Asia and the Western Pacific, with sporadic cases occurring in other countries in Europe.
It isn’t currently found naturally in the UK, existing as an infection associated with travel with an average of 505 cases reported each year in England, Wales and Northern Ireland between 2015 and 2019.
But government experts fear Asian tiger mosquitoes carrying the bug could become established in England by 2040.
UKHSA chief executive Professor Dame Jenny Harries said: “Things that when I trained many years ago were called tropical diseases will actually become national domestic diseases.”
Most people with dengue have mild flu-like symptoms, or none at all, and usually get better within two weeks.
But people who are infected for a second time, or those considered more vulnerable because they are very young, over 65, pregnant or have a weakened immune system, tend to be affected more severely.
The NHS and WHO say people may also experience:
A high temperature
A severe headache
Intense muscle and joint pain
Pain behind your eyes
Severe abdominal pain
Feeling or being sick
Swollen glands
A blotchy rash made up of flat or slightly raised spots (that can affect large areas of your body)
Rapid breathing
Bleeding gums or nose
Fatigue
Restlessness
Blood in their vomit or poo
Being very thirsty
Pale and cold skin
Feeling weak
The intense muscle and joint pain associated with it means it is often dubbed ‘breakbone fever’.
There is no specific treatment, but sufferers should rest, drink plenty of water, and take paracetamol to bring down their temperature and ease pain.
Most recently, serious outbreaks have been reported in Bangladesh, which recorded 321,179 hospitalisations and 1,705 deaths from the virus in 2023, and Brazil, where cases rose 16 per cent last year and officials fear will see a record five million cases this year.
Dr Lima Rahman, health director for Save the Children in Bangladesh, said last year: “Dengue is a relentless enemy, particularly when it comes to our children and their families.
“Its impact reaches far beyond the physical suffering of the infected child; it disrupts their education, puts immense economic and emotional pressure on families, and strains our healthcare systems.
“We must remember that every case of dengue is not just a statistic; it’s a person who deserves a healthy and happy life.
“We must continue our efforts to prevent and control this disease.”
Meanwhile, Ethel Maciel, secretary of surveillance at the Brazilian health ministry, told the Financial Times: “We have a situation that is very worrying.”
How to protect against dengue fever
THE best way to protect yourself from dengue when you’re in a country where it is found is to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes. You should:
Wear long-sleeved clothing and trousers to cover your arms and legs, particularly during early morning and early evening
Use insect repellent on your skin (ideally one that contains the ingredient DEET)
Close windows and doors whenever possible, or use blinds or screens
Sleep under a mosquito net treated with insecticide, including during the day
Source: NHS
AFPFrancisca Sosa, 45, next to her father, who has dengue fever, at their house in Catacaos, Peru, in June 2023[/caption]
EPAFumigation at a house in the Villa Primero de Mayo neighbourhood of Santa Cruz, Bolivia, in January 2023[/caption]
AFPA dengue patient rests on a ward in Allahabad in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh in September 2021[/caption]