Yesterday (July 30,1997) I was reading an article in USA Today that discussed a positive step towards developing a treatment and/or vaccine for the virus that causes Dengue fever. The Dengue fever viruses are found between latitudes 23.5 N and 23.5 S (the tropics). There are four different types of the Dengue fever virus. They cause disease in at least 50 million people per year. About, 25,000 people die every year from this infection. Children are the most likely to die from this infection.
The Dengue viruses causes three different kinds of illnesses in people: Dengue Fever, dengue hemorrhagic fever, and dengue shock syndrome. Dengue hemorrhagic fever and shock syndrome are the most deadly of the diseases.
A mosquito transmits the virus to humans. Most people infected with Dengue viruses have dengue fever. The person suddenly developes a high fever (39.5oC to 41.4oC (103oF to 106oF)). They also may have a headache around their eyes or at their forehead. A rash usually appears 24-48 hours after the fever starts. The rash starts at the trunk and then developes on the arms and legs. The person will have muscle aches and severe bone pain (breakbone fever). They will eventually start having nausea and vomiting 2-6 days after the fever begins. The fever usually lasts 3-9 days and then goes away. One to two days after the fever goes away a second rash appears. This rash will disappear in 1-5 days and is accompanied by a slight fever (saddleback fever).
The other two diseases are less common but are much more severe and require medical attention. The person will have a fever, headache, loss of appetite, vomiting, cough, and feel very tired. This will last 2-5 days. Then the person will feel cold and have clammy hands and feet. They will have a flushed face, sweat a lot, be very restless, and irritable. Oftentimes they will have little red spots (petechiae) on the forehead, arms, and legs. Usually the person gets better in 2-3 days. Sometimes they do not and their blood pressure goes down and they develop shock (shock syndrome). Deaths occur in 5-40% of children that develop shock. Survival of these children is directly related to quickly getting them to a hospital and intensive care being given to the person.
Now for the good news. Rory M. Marks of the University of Michigan has reported in Nature Medicine how the Dengue viruses attach to the human cells they infect. He was also able to find the portion of the virus that attaches to cells.
This is important. If you know how the virus attaches then drugs could
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