Dengue is found in regions including Africa, the Americas, the Eastern Mediterranean, South-East Asia and the Western Pacific.1 Anyone living in or traveling to these areas is at risk of infection.
In total, it is estimated that 50% of the world’s population, or around
3.9 billion people,
live in areas with a risk of dengue exposure.1
People can catch dengue from being bitten by infected mosquitoes. The type of mosquito that spreads dengue lives and breeds in cities, towns and villages because they prefer feeding on humans. Children and adults of all ages can become ill with dengue.1 People who have had dengue before are at higher risk if they are infected a second time.3
Around 390 million people are estimated to be infected with dengue each year. Of these,
96 million get sick from infection.4
Based on modeling, the World Health Organization estimates that approximately 40,000 people die each year from severe dengue infection.2
