Dengue in the Caribbean

ABSTRACT

Dengue fever is an acute febrile illness characterized by sudden onset, severe headache, arthralgia, myalgia and fever for 5-7 days. Fair skinned individuals usually have a visible rash. Leukopaenia, thrombocytopaenia and lymphadenopathy are common. The differential diagnosis includes anthropod-borne viral fevers, influenza, rubella and others. The surveillance and epidemiologic data suggest that the disease pattern in the Caribbean is evolving in a manner similiar to that of South-East Asia in the 1960's when DHF originally began occurring sporadically, it is now a leading cause of hospitalization and deaths among children in many countries in South-East Asia. Unless a concentrated effort is made over the coming months and years to substantially reduce vector populations in the Caribbean, there can be little doubt that Dengue occurence will increasae with the risk of DHF (AU)