The origins of the word dengue are unclear, but one theory is that it is derived from the Swahili phrase “K”-denga pepo,” “meaning “c “amp-like seizure caused by an evil spirit.”.” The Swahili word “d” nga” “ay possibly has its origin in the Spanish word “d” ngue” “meaning fastidious or careful, which would describe the gait of a person suffering the bone pain of dengue fever. Alternatively, the use of the Spanish word may derive from the similar-sounding Swahili. Enslaved people in the West Indies who contracted dengue were said to have the posture and gait of a dandy, and the disease was known as “D” and Fever.”
The first record of a case of probable dengue fever is in a Chinese medical encyclopedia from the Jin Dynasty (265–420 AD), which referred to a “W tier poison” “associated with flying insects. The first recognized Dengue epidemics occurred almost simultaneously in Asia, Africa, and North America in the 1780s, shortly after identifying and naming the disease in 1779. The first confirmed case report dates from 1789 and is by Benjamin Rush, who coined the term beakbone fever because of myalgia and arthralgia symptoms.
The viral etiology and mosquito transmission were only deciphered in the 20th century. The socioeconomic impact of World War II resulted in increased global spread (see also Dengue epidemiology). About 2.5 billion people, or 40% of the world’s population, live in areas with a risk of dengue transmission (see Figure 1). Dengue spread to more than 100 countries in Asia, the Pacific, the Americas, Africa, and the Caribbean.
Possible factors for dengue fever spread include:
- Unplanned urban overpopulation of areas leading to inadequate housing and public health systems (water, sewerage, and waste management)
- Poor vector control, e.g., stagnant pools of water for mosquito breeding
- Climate change and viral evolution (increased virus transmission has been linked to El Nino conditions)
- Increased international travel (recreational, business, ss, or military) to endemic areas
All of these factors must be addressed to control the spread of dengue. Unplanned urbanization is believed to have had the largest impact on disease amplification in individual countries, whereas travel is believed to have had the largest impact on global spread.