CMJ - World Report
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Item Open Access Discovering Serendipity(Cambridge Medicine Journal, 2010-10-08) Nastar, Ashna; Afzal, SamiraDengue is the most rapidly spreading mosquito-borne viral disease in the world, with an annual incidence of over 100 million infections (Malavige, 2006). The disease is caused by four distinct, but closely related, virus strains all transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. Infection with one serotype provides life-long immunity to that virus but not to the others. Although primary prevention methods can significantly reduce the spread of disease, the incidence of dengue in Sri Lanka has unfortunately increased over the past ten years, with a total of 31 046 cases and 227 deaths being reported between January and September 2010 alone (Sri Lankan Ministry Of Healthcare and Nutrition, 2010). The demographics of dengue fever have also evolved; a decade ago, children were predominantly affected, but recent years have seen a rise in the number of adult dengue patients, with significant morbidity and mortality. The reasons for this change are still unclear (Teixeira, 2008).