The re-emergence of dengue in China

The number of reports in the literature on dengue outbreaks in various parts of south China is increasing. This trend is likely contributed to by multiple factors, chief among which is the increase in trade and human movement in and out of China from the Southeast Asian region where dengue is firmly endemic. However, a holistic picture of dengue in China and how the public health authorities are responding to this global health challenge has been missing. In a research article published in BMC Medicine, Lai et al. have now filled this gap in knowledge by analysing statutorily mandated national dengue surveillance data from 1990 till 2014. They also conducted time series analyses to identify key drivers of dengue transmission in south China as well as from south China to the other parts of this vast and populous country. Their findings, as well as the description of surveillance and disease control activities in China, highlight urgent steps that need to be taken if China wishes to prevent itself from becoming another country that experiences large and frequent cycles of epidemic dengue.