HealthAugust 19, 2026

dengue

DENG-gee

Definition

A painful, debilitating mosquito-borne tropical disease characterized by high fever, severe joint and muscle pain, and headache.

Etymology

Derived from the Swahili word 'ki-dinga pepo', which refers to a sudden cramp caused by an evil spirit; it entered English in the mid-19th century through Spanish.

In the news

The article mentions dengue as one of the serious viral diseases, alongside chikungunya and Zika, that the invasive tiger mosquito is capable of transmitting to humans in France.

Southwest France steps up mosquito control following 20 chikungunya cases

Read the full article ↗

RFI

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