A new commentary just published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) says dengue, a mosquito-borne disease, could become more widespread and deadly, threatening U.S. public health.
Dengue (pronounced "DENG-ee") is caused by any of four
related viruses transmitted to humans by mosquitoes. The article says dengue
is among the most important re-emerging infectious diseases worldwide, with
an estimated 50 to 100 million annual cases that result in 22,000 deaths. (To read the essay, you must subscribe or pay for access.)
There are no specific treatments or vaccines for dengue.
A news release from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) says:
Previously confined to tropical and subtropical climates, the
mosquito-borne illness is becoming a much more serious problem
along the U.S.-Mexico border and in the commonwealth of Puerto
Rico. Dengue occurs sporadically and has had a relatively small
impact on the United States thus far, so the amount of dengue-related
illness in this country is presently minimal. However, the disease
tends to occur in explosive epidemics. Moreover, the NIAID (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the NIH) scientists
note, efforts to control the populations of mosquitoes that transmit
dengue have fallen short of their goal.
The NIH release says that the viruses that cause dengue are carried by two specific kinds of mosquitoes,
Aedes
albopictus (nicknamed "Asian tiger mosquito") and
Aedes
aegypti:
First seen in the United States in 1985, Ae.
albopictus has been found in 36 states, while Ae. aegypti has
been found in several southern states. Experience elsewhere in
the world shows that where these mosquitoes go, the disease usually
follows.
