As per a new study, first dengue treatment has come closer to reality. Clinical trials for a dengue fever treatment could start within a year, following a discovery by University of Queensland scientists. The researchers had identified similarities in how the body reacted to dengue virus and bacterial infections, in a finding that would allow them to re-purpose existing drugs. Dengue virus is estimated to infect up to 400 million people globally each year. The World Health Organisation ranks it as the most important mosquito-borne viral disease in the world.
Dengue - Must Know Facts
- Dengue fever is a disease caused by a family of viruses that are transmitted by mosquitoes.
- Dengue can affect anyone but tends to be more severe in people with compromised immune systems.
- Victims of dengue often have contortions due to the intense joint and muscle pain.
- Dengue prevention and control solely depends on effective vector control measures.
- Dengue virus is transmitted by female mosquitoes mainly of the species Aedes aegypti and, to a lesser extent, Aedes albopictus.
- Till now there is no vaccine to protect against dengue.
- Dengue goes by other names, including “breakbone” or “dandy fever.”
- The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 22,000 deaths occur yearly, mostly among children.
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