Key facts Dengue is a viral infection transmitted by mosquitoes About half of the world’s population is at risk, with an estimated 100–400 million cases annually It is found mostly in urban and semi-urban areas in tropical and sub-tropical climates worldwide The majority of dengue infections are asymptomatic or cause mild illness, but the virus can cause severe cases and death Overview Dengue, a viral infection that is spread from mosquitoes to people, has exploded in recent years with large outbreaks in parts of Asia and the Americas, and smaller outbreaks in Europe. Many people who get dengue will not know they have the infection, but for those that do the illness can be highly unpleasant. The most common symptoms include a high temperature, headache, nausea, rash and body aches – hence its other name, break-bone fever. For most people the disease is not serious and they will recover within two weeks. However, some people develop a severe form of the disease and require hospital care.…