Small study finds success
A recent study examined a new vaccine for Dengue fever and found that, in the small group tested, it was 100 percent effective.
The vaccine, developed by U.S. National Institutes of Health scientists, is known as TV003. Scientists tested 21 participants, who were all given the TV003 vaccine. All 21 were ultimately protected from infection.
Researchers now plan to further evaluate TV003 in dengue-endemic areas across the globe.
New dengue vaccine protects people against at least one type of dengue virus in small study https://t.co/otyZCPF7wu pic.twitter.com/ro3m5q6MzE
— CNN (@CNN) March 16, 2016
Billions potentially impacted
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), [link url=”http://www.cdc.gov/dengue/” title=”Dengue“] is one of the most prevalent causes of illness and death in the tropics and subtropics around the world.
Up to 400 million people are infected with Dengue each year, and at least a third of the global population resides in regions that are at risk for infection.
Mosquito-borne virus
Two common mosquitos — Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus — transmit the viruses that cause dengue fever. These same mosquitos are also known to transmit Zika virus.
In the U.S., the state of Hawaii has been hardest hit by Dengue, as it has been working to control the spread of the virus on the island since a [link url=”http://health.hawaii.gov/docd/dengue-outbreak-2015/” title=”2011 outbreak“].
As of March 2016, the Hawaii Department of Health (HDOH) has identified no new cases Dengue. Between September 11, 2015 and March 4, 2016, had 261 confirmed cases of the virus, all of which are no longer infectious.
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