Dengue has emerged as a worldwide problem since the 1950s, and is endemic in Puerto Rico and in Latin America, Southeast Asia and the Pacific islands. It is a leading cause of death in those areas.
Dengue is transmitted by female mosquitoes mainly of the species Aedes aegypti and, to a lesser extent, Ae. albopictus. This mosquito also transmits chikungunya, yellow fever and Zika infection. Dengue is widespread throughout the tropics, with local variations in risk influenced by rainfall, temperature and unplanned rapid urbanization.
As many as 400 million people are infected yearly. It is caused by any one of four related viruses transmitted by mosquitoes. There are not yet any vaccines to prevent infection with dengue virus and the most effective protective measures are those that avoid mosquito bites. When infected, early recognition and prompt supportive treatment can substantially lower the risk of medical complications and death.
Studies regarding the prevalence of dengue estimate that 3.9 billion people, in 128 countries, are at risk of infection with dengue viruses.
This map shows the outbreaks of Dengue between February and April 2016.
Critical to prevention and treatment of dengue is the availability of social and behavior change communication (SBCC) tools and materials. Service providers need to be aware of symptoms, explain treatment protocols, and inform the patient and family members about care of the patient. The general public needs to know about the vital importance of prevention techniques, and how to recognize symptoms in others.
The Health COMpass presents below a range of SBCC tools and project materials created for dengue, and we welcome our users to submit their own materials to our collection by registering and then contributing online.
This course is designed to provide information to enable physicians to recognize dengue cases early in the clinical course, assess patients appropriately, and provide timely treatment. It consists of 5 modules. The first four modules deal with clinical issues delaing with diagnosis and treatment.
These guidelines, published in 2009, provide updated practical information on the clinical management and delivery of clinical services; vector management and delivery of vector control services; laboratory
diagnosis and diagnostic tests; and surveillance, emergency preparedness and response.
Chapters cover:
This document presents a management model aimed at strengthening national programs and thereby reducing the morbidity, mortality, and social and economic burden generated by dengue outbreaks and epidemics.
This guide presents the basic steps and underlying principles of COMBI (Communication for Behavioural Impact).
This handout, intended for health care practitioners, explains the clinical diagnosis of dengue, its clinical management, treatment, and laboratory diagnosis.
In addition, it offers an overview of the epidemiology of dengue fever.
This handout informs the patient that if it is possible that a child or family member may have dengue fever, it is important to start caring for the patient even before the test results come back.
The handout explains how to care for the patient with a fever, and how to care while the fever is subsiding.
A poster aimed at homeowners and community members, listing what they can do to control the mosquitoes that cause deadly diseases.
The advice listed includes:
This information sheet provides the basic facts about Dengue in English and Spanish.
Included is information on:
This brochure provides basic important information for households about Dengue:
Included is information on:
Poster explaining health care if one is sill with chikungunya, dengue, or Zika viruses. Primarily, it is important to protect oneself and others from mosquito bites during the first week of illness.
This brochure explains that if a family member has been diagnosed with dengue fever, there are many ways to care fo the patient while they have a fever, and also while the fever is abating.
This web page contains key facts, information about the global burden of dengue, including transmission, characteristics, treatment, immunization and prevention and control.
This fact sheet for the general public explains what dengue is, signs and symptoms, prevention, and what to do if one is ill with dengue.
This poster describes the various types of mosquitos and the viruses they cause, and protecting oneself from mosquito bites,
As part of the prevention campaign regarding the Zika Virus, the US CDC offers this poster warning travelers about the dangers of mosquito bites.
It urges travelers to:
This brochure explains that if a woman gets dengue while pregnant, especially during the last three months near delivery, she can spread the infection to her baby. Dengue can have harmful effects that include death of the unborn baby, low birth weight, and premature birth.
Mo-Buzz is a social media app developed in Sri Lanka that citizens can use to:
Three individuals in Malaysia tell the story of how everything changed after they contracted dengue.
This website is made possible by the support of the American People through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under the Breakthrough-ACTION Project, supported by USAID’s Office of Population and Reproductive Health, Bureau for Global Health, under Cooperative Agreement #AID-OAA-A-17-00017 with the Johns Hopkins University.
Breakthrough-ACTION is based at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Center for Communication Programs (JHU∙CCP). The contents of this website are the sole responsibility of JHU∙CCP. The information provided on this website is not official U.S. Government information and does not necessarily represent the views or positions of USAID, the United States Government, or The Johns Hopkins University.