Climate-based descriptive models of dengue fever: the 2002 epidemic in Colima, Mexico.* Dengue dengue or breakbone fever or dandy fever Infectious, disabling mosquito-borne fever. Other symptoms include extreme joint pain and stiffness, intense pain behind the eyes, a return of fever after brief pause, and a characteristic rash. is a flavivirus-caused disease transmitted by mosquitoes. * It occurs in tropical areas around the world, including southeast Asia Southeast Asia, region of Asia (1990 est. pop. 442,500,000), c.1,740,000 sq mi (4,506,600 sq km), bounded roughly by the Indian subcontinent on the west, China on the north, and the Pacific Ocean on the east. , India, the Western Pacific, and South America South America, fourth largest continent (1991 est. pop. 299,150,000), c.6,880,000 sq mi (17,819,000 sq km), the southern of the two continents of the Western Hemisphere. . * There are four dengue serotypes (Den-1, Den-2, Den-3, and Den-4). * Individuals acquire permanent immunity to each strain that infects them, but there is no evidence of cross-immunity. * In humans, the dengue virus dengue virus n. A virus of the genus Flavivirus that is the cause of dengue. produces flulike symptoms for up to 14 days. * In severe cases (dengue hemorrhagic fever hemorrhagic fever (hĕm'ərăj`ĭk), any of a group of viral diseases characterized by sudden onset, muscle and joint pain, fever, bleeding, and shock from loss of blood. ), the fatality ratio ranges from 5 percent for treated cases to 15 percent for untreated cases. * Dengue affects approximately 100 million people every year. * The exact number of cases is unknown because a large number of cases involve few or no symptoms. * Dengue is transmitted by at least two species of mosquitoes: Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus Noun 1. Aedes albopictus - striped native of Japan thriving in southwestern and midwestern United States and spreading to the Caribbean; potential carrier of serious diseases Asian tiger mosquito . * Aedes aegypti is the principal vector. * Seasonal variations in temperature and rainfall have been observed to be correlated with levels of dengue infection. * Higher numbers of dengue cases are associated with higher rainfall and temperature. * A set of general-circulation models of global climate change have made the association between small temperature rises and higher risk of dengue epidemics. * The authors conducted a retrospective assessment of five climatological cli·ma·tol·o·gy n. The meteorological study of climates and their phenomena. cli  ma·to·log variables as predictors of dengue incidence.
* They used data from the 2002 dengue epidemic in Colima, Mexico. * Climatological variables were found to be significantly correlated with the number of dengue cases. * Another factor that could be assessed as a predictor of dengue transmission is the intensity of public health interventions: -- controlling the vector population via larvaciding programs, -- spraying of insecticides, and -- efforts to educate the population on how to avoid dengue infections. |
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