Dengue haemorrhagic fever in Bangkok
Fiebre hemorrágica del dengue en Bangkok
- Date
- 1954-1960 · confidence medium
- Place
- Bangkok, Thailand
- Credited to
- Hammon, Rudnick, Sather and Bangkok physicians
- Field
- Life & health
What was discovered
A 1958 epidemic in Bangkok of an illness with fever, bleeding and shock in children, associated with dengue virus rather than a new virus. It was identified as a severe form of dengue and the virus was isolated in Manila and Bangkok.
A similar disease had been described in Manila in 1953-54; viruses 2, 3 and 4 were isolated in 1956-58 (Hammon et al., Science, 1960). The cause by secondary infection was formulated later (Halstead).
What it led to
- WHO definition of dengue haemorrhagic fever
- studies of secondary infection and antibody-dependent enhancement
- tetravalent dengue vaccines