DENGUE FEVER RISING
KAUFUI VINCENT WONG *
University of Miami, P.O.Box 248294, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Dengue fever is not perceived by the general public as a widespread dangerous disease. It used to be strictly a tropical disease. Apparently, climate change has extended the reach of the disease vector, the Aedes genus of mosquitoes. Dengue fever and the more dangerous kind Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever are occurring more numerously all over the world. The objective of the current work is to highlight the rising numbers of dengue fever, and to call for education of the general public and for more research to help stem the tide of the disease. The real influence of climate change on the disease should also be researched and quantified. The most common disease vector, the Aedes aegypti mosquito, has evolved to be an urban scourge, and the urban affluent are as susceptible as the rural poor children to the disease.
Keywords: Aedes, mosquito, repellant, disease, hemorrhagic, fatal, endemic, travel, spreading, climate change, stagnant water