Arboviral diseases

Dengue, Chikungunya, and Zika are viral diseases transmitted by mosquitoes of the genus Aedes. Their etiological agents are collectively known as arboviruses – arthropod-borne viruses. Most cases of Zika, Dengue, and Chikungunya are either asymptomatic, or mild. They may, however, entail severe complications. Estimates put severe Dengue cases – presenting mostly as hemorrhagic fever - at 3.6 million worldwide each year. A vaccine exists, but it can increase the risk of severe manifestations in recipients with no prior Dengue infection, and that limits its use as control tool. Chikungunya can entail severe complications especially in people with comorbidities. Zika infection during pregnancy may cause birth defects, and growing evidence associates it to Guillain–Barré syndrome. No specific treatment or vaccine for either Chikungunya or Zika currently exists. Any geographic area with an established presence of the competent vectors – A. Aegypti and A. Albopictus – is at risk of outbreak of these diseases.