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There are currently no approved vaccines for the dengue virus. Prevention thus depends on control of and protection from the bites of the mosquito that transmits it. The World Health Organization recommends a Integrated Vector Control program consisting of five elements:
Advocacy, social mobilization and legislation to ensure that public health bodies and communities are strengthened, collaboration between the health and other sectors (public and private), an integrated approach to disease control to maximize use of resources, evidence-based decision making to ensure any interventions are targeted appropriately and capacity-building to ensure an adequate response to the local situation.
The primary method of controlling A. aegypti is by eliminating its habitats. This may be done by emptying containers of water or by adding insecticides or biological control agents to these areas. Reducing open collections of water through environmental modification is the preferred method of control, given the concerns of negative health effect from insecticides and greater logistical difficulties with control agents. People may prevent mosquito bites by wearing clothing that fully covers the skin and/or the application of insect repellent (DEET being the most effective). A number of novel methods have been used to reduce mosquito numbers with some success including the placement of the fish Poecilia reticulata or copepods in standing water to eat the mosquito larva.
There are ongoing programs working on a dengue vaccine to cover all four serotypes.[22] One of the concerns is that a vaccine may increase the risk of severe disease through antibody-dependent enhancement. The ideal vaccine is safe, effective after one or two injections, covers all serotypes, does not contribute to ADE, is easily transported and stored, and is both affordable and cost-effective. A number of vaccines are currently undergoing testing. It is hoped that the first products will be commercially available by 2015.
