The Lancet  
May 14, 2011  Volume 377  Number 9778  Pages 1625 – 1718
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

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The cost of dengue control
Eduardo Massad, Francisco Antonio Bezerra Coutinho

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Dengue is thought to be the most important vector-borne disease,1 with about 2·5 billion people (two-fifths of the world’s population) living in regions affected by dengue.2 There are 50–100 million new infections annually.3 According to WHO, the incidence is increasing because of human population growth and wider spread of vector mosquitoes due to climate change (figure).4,5 The total yearly cost of treatment in dengue-endemic areas can reach US$2 billion.3 Without an effective vaccine or specific antiviral treatment, control of the main mosquito vector, Aedes aegypti, is the only option for the prevention and control of dengue,6 at a cost of between $0·207 and $1·008 a head.