Dengue epidemic in Honduras, 1978-1980.

Dengue, a disease caused by group B flavivirus (I), has caused serious epidemics in the Caribbean area and in the tropical countries of Asia and Africa. The virus, of which there are four serotypes (dengue 1, dengue 2, dengue 3, and dengue 4), is transmitted by the Aedes aeg@ti mosquito, which also transmits yellow fever; the mosquito Aedes albopictus also acts as a dengue vector in Southeast Asia (2). Reservoir hosts of the virus are unknown; man is the natural host, although mice and monkeys (3) may be artificially infected. In its benign form the disease is characterized by pains in the muscles and joints, which is why in some countries it is known as breakbone fever. In its most severe form, known as dengue hemorrhagic fever, the disease may bring about a hemorrhagic shock syndrome with fatal consequences (4). Over the past 20 years, three major dengue epidemics have occurred in the Caribbean