Current status of dengue/dengue haemorrhagic fever

Dengue fever/dengue haemorrhagic fever (DF/DHF) is the most important emerging viral disease affecting nearly half of the world’s population. It is estimated that there are between 50 to 100 million cases of DF and about 500 000 cases of DHF which require hospitalization every year. In the WHO South-East Asia Region, over the past 15 years, DF/DHF has become a leading cause of hospitalization and death among children. The annual incidence of DF cases is estimated to be between 20-30 million and of DHF between 200 000 and 400 000 cases with 10 000 deaths. During 1996-1998, an increasing trend in morbidit