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Dengue in numbers

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The World Health Organization estimates that 3.9 billion people are at risk of catching dengue, globally. That’s 50% of the world’s population.1

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, up to 400 million people around the world are infected with dengue every year. Only 100 million (25%) of them will show symptoms and 40,000 (0.04%) will die from the disease.2 

There are 30 times as many reported cases of dengue today, as there were 50 years ago.3

Before 1970, only nine countries had experienced a dengue epidemic. Now, dengue is found in 129 countries worldwide.4

Although you can catch dengue in countries across the Americas, Africa, the Middle East and the Pacific Islands, the risk of catching it is 70% higher if you live in Asia.1,4

There are four related viruses that cause dengue: DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3 and DENV-4.1 DENV is short for dengue virus. 

The worldwide cost of dengue is estimated to be US$9bn.5

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Reference

  1. World Health Organization. Dengue and severe dengue. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dengue-and-severe-dengue. [Accessed January 2022]. 

  1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About Dengue: What You Need to Know. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/dengue/about/index.html.[Accessed January 2022]. 

  1. World Mosquito Program. Dengue. Available at: https://www.worldmosquitoprogram.org/en/learn/mosquito-borne-diseases/dengue. [Accessed March 2022.]  

  1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Areas with Risk of Dengue. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/dengue/areaswithrisk/index.html. [Accessed March 2022]. 

  1. Shepard, DS. et al. The Lancet. 2016;16(8):935-941. Available at: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(16)00146-8/fulltext.[Accessed January 2020].