This virus first reveled itself in the 1950s in the Philippines and Thailand, and has since spread throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the globe. Up to 40 percent of the world’s population now lives in areas where dengue is endemic, and the disease—with the mosquitoes that carry it—is likely to spread farther as the world warms.
Dengue sickens 50 to 100 million people every year, according to WHO. Although the mortality rate for dengue fever is lower than some other viruses, at 2.5 percent, the virus can cause an Ebola-like disease called dengue hemorrhagic fever and that specific condition has a mortality rate of 20 percent if left untreated. “We really need to think more about dengue virus because it is a real threat to us,” Muhlberger said.
Last year, a vaccine for Dengue was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in children 9-16 years old living in an areas where dengue is common and with a confirmed history of virus infection, according to the CDC.
In some countries, an approved vaccine is available for those 9-45 years old, but again, recipients must have contracted a confirmed case of dengue in the past. Those who have not caught the virus before could be put at high risk of developing severe dengue if given the vaccine.
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