Abstract
This paper provides a framework for considering the global burden of illness attributable to dengue, and its cost, and describes challenges encountered in the estimation of these values. Major challenges include: lack of uniform application of the World Health Organization (WHO) case definition, limited capabilities and standards of dengue laboratories, limited accuracy of rapid tests, misdiagnosis, lack of uniform criteria to report cases of dengue to WHO, limited role of surveillance and reporting systems, under-reporting of fatal and non-fatal dengue, misclassification in reporting, limited public knowledge about major regions at risk and travellers. While the scientific literature contains few studies on the burden of dengue and cost of illness, available results suggest that the actual number of cases of dengue may range from 3 to 27 times the reported number. We propose a conceptual framework for
research.
Working paper for the Scientific Working Group on Dengue Research, convened by the Special Programme for Research and
Training in Tropical Diseases, Geneva, 1-5 October 2006