LONDON — Scientists have discovered new antibodies that neutralize viruses that cause dengue, potentially putting a universal vaccine within reach for a mosquito-borne illness that strikes an estimated 400 million people a year.
Central America's recent drought may be causing losses in the country's agriculture sector and the drinking water supply, but the unusually dry rainy season has also meant fewer mosquitoes and a significant drop in the number of cases of dengue in both Costa Rica and Nicaragua.
RIO DE JANEIRO – Ten thousand mosquitoes immunized against dengue fever have been released in Brazil as part of an innovative attempt to curb the spread of the tropical viral sickness, biologists said Thursday.
The vaccine proved effective against dengue symptoms in 56.5 percent of those studied and even more effective against the hemorrhagic fever, at 88.5 percent.
Cases of dengue have multiplied nearly five times in the last 10 years in Latin America, affecting 2.3 million people in 2013, even though its mortality rate dropped, according to figures released this Thursday by the Pan American Health Organization.
