Combating Dengue: A Look at the Characteristics, Prevalence, Treatment Approaches, and WHO Recommendations

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The dengue virus, which causes dengue, is a viral illness spread by arthropods and a severe worldwide public health concern. There are four unique serotypes of the dengue virus. Every year, millions of instances are recorded globally, and many result in deaths. The genetic material of the encapsulated dengue virus, which belongs to the Flaviviridae family, is made up of positive-sense single-stranded RNA. The range of symptoms includes low-grade fever as well as more serious illnesses including dengue haemorrhagic fever, thrombocytopenia, and increased vascular permeability. It is vital to undertake urgent laboratory diagnostic testing to confirm the condition. Examples of diagnostic approaches include virus identification in serological testing and RNA amplification using PCR. Dengue cannot presently be treated or avoided with antiviral medicines owing to licensing difficulties. The only dengue virus vaccine that has been approved is now available: dengvaxia. This book chapter aims to provide insights into the structure, pathophysiology, symptoms, major affected organs, mitigation strategies, and treatment approaches for the dengue virus.