Current Outbreak of Dengue and Its Consecuences in Health and Society

With the current dengue outbreak being the worst since 2010, deaths from this dangerous disease have reached 25 from more than 12,000 people infected. The four fold increase in rates from last year shows this years outbreak reaching worrying heights. A number of measures are being taken to try and contain the outbreak and stabilise numbers as the year progresses. These include the use of BTi for the first time in Malaysia by the MoH and local councils in fogging programs, the continuing development of a tetravalent vaccine that's in the late stages of clinical trials. A concerted effort on multiple platforms including social media has also helped raise awareness about this current epidemic. It has brought more focus on this issue and ways we all can help to control this outbreak. The question we have to ask is what consequences does this current outbreak have for us in the future in terms of the general health of society as a whole.

It is best to consider this issue from a number of levels starting with the most macroscopic of outlooks, moving in. With current climate change patter...