Immunomodulatory therapy in dengue: need for clinical trials and evidence base

Dengue infection is a major public health problem especially in the Southeast Asian region (SEAR). The incidence of dengue is estimated at 390 million infections with a prevalence of 3.9 billion worldwide. Notably, the mortality due to severe dengue is 15.9 times higher in children under 14 years of age.1 Infections such as dengue, tuberculosis and malaria remain a bigger challenge for children in low/middle-income countries (LMICs) but unlike infection with SARS-CoV-2 have not attracted global attention and continue to be neglected. More children died of dengue in the last 2 years than from COVID-19.1 Vaccines and antiviral drugs for dengue have not taken off despite initial enthusiasm. Unlike the vaccine trials, well-designed randomised controlled trials for therapeutic strategies for dengue in both children and adults are currently lacking and hence treatment options beyond supportive care are minimal. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has helped illustrate the importance of...
Source: Archives of Disease in Childhood - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: COVID-19 Viewpoint Source Type: research