The story so far: Dengue is the world’s fastest-growing vector borne disease: evidence shows over the past 50 years, there was a 30-50-fold increase in dengue cases in tropical and subtropical countries, like India. While dengue is largely accepted as an annual epidemic in several countries (impacting more than 3.6 billion people) recurring every monsoon, the face and anatomy of the disease are changing.
A new study led by researchers at the Indian Institute of Science found the dengue virus has evolved “dramatically” over the last five decades in India. A Lancet study this year drew a similar conclusion, adding that urbanisation, population growth, rising temperatures, and climate change created “conditions for the dengue vectors and viruses to multiply”. In April, Argentina saw its worst dengue outbreak in 25 years.
There is no specific medicine or cure for dengue, making vaccines crucial in preventing infection and disease progression. However, developing a universal vaccine has remained a challenge.
