CRCN - Dengue

Dengue Fever

With more than one-third of the world's population living in areas at risk for transmission, dengue infection is a leading cause of illness and death in the tropics and subtropics. As many as 100 million people are infected yearly. Dengue is caused by any one of four related viruses transmitted by mosquitoes. There are not yet any vaccines to prevent infection with dengue virus and the most effective measures are those that avoid mosquito bites. When infected, early recognition and prompt supportive treatment can substantially lower the risk of developing severe disease.

Dengue has emerged as a worldwide problem only since the 1950s. Although dengue rarely occurs in the continental United Sates, it is endemic in Puerto Rico, and in many popular tourist destinations in Latin America and Southeast Asia; periodic outbreaks occur in Samoa and Guam.

Source: www.cdc.gov/dengue

Investigational Vaccine

An "investigational" vaccine is a vaccine that is being tested and not approved for sale in the United States by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Why Participate?

People volunteer to participate in clinical trials for different reasons. Some volunteer because they want to help advance medical knowledge. Others have tried all available treatments for their condition without success.

Helping other people and receiving more and better attention for their specific disease were also reasons for participating.

People should not participate simply because a potential treatment is being offered free during a study or because of the promise of money.

People lured by compensation may overlook the known risks or they may fail to adequately appreciate the potential for discovery of new side effects during the clinical testing of a new treatment.

Source: From Test Tube to Patient / Fourth Edition

CRCN is conducting a research study of an investigational vaccine to prevent dengue fever for people 18-45 years of age.

To learn more call 702-893-8968

If you are 18-45 years old and have had a yellow fever vaccination within the past 10 years and still have the documentation for it, please contact us promptly at 702-893-8968 for possible inclusion in the study.

What is Dengue Fever?

Dengue is a disease caused by a virus that is transmitted by mosquitoes. People who catch the dengue virus can get dengue fever (up to 104 degrees Fahrenheit, 40 degrees centigrade for 2 to 7 days), often with severe headache, vomiting, muscle and joint pains, pain behind the eyes, and skin rash. Dengue is sometimes more severe and can cause bleeding and/or a sudden decrease of the blood pressure (shock). Dengue can cause death in some cases mainly in children.

There are 4 types of dengue virus (1,2,3 and 4). Infection with one type usually means that you will not have a second infection with the same type in the future; however, you can have an infection with one of the other 3 types. Second infections with a different dengue type may have a greater risk of causing severe illness.

Click for a map of reports of Dengue Fever

The mosquitoes carrying and transmitting the dengue virus are most frequently found in the tropical regions of the world (for example, Puerto Rico and Hawaii). They are also present in some southeastern states in the United States (e.g., Florida, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Georgia). Except in rare instances, the mosquitoes present in the continental United States do not carry the dengue viruses. Therefore, there is a very limited risk to contract the disease in the continental United States (an outbreak was monitored in Key West Florida in 2009-2010) compared to tropical areas. Most dengue cases in citizens of the United States are reported from people living in Puerto Rico , the US Virgin Islands, Samoa, and Guam or from travelers coming back from tropical areas. Dengue is now the leading cause of sickness with high fever in travelers returning to the United States from the Caribbean, South America and Asia.

Are there other vaccines available to prevent dengue?

There are no vaccines and no specific treatments presently available against the disease.

Avoiding mosquito bites (using repellent or bed nets) is the only way to prevent dengue. Although it is difficult to do, the disease can be controlled by the destruction of mosquitoes and the places where they reproduce.

What is being done?

We are inviting people to take part in a research study of an investigational vaccine, designed to protect against dengue. A description of this clinical trial is available on http://www.ClinicalTrials.gov.

Do I qualify?

You must be between 18 and 45 years of age at the time you begin the study and meet other study inclusion and exclusion requirements. Call 702-893-8968 for more information and see if you qualify. Qualified applicants that meet the study requirements, will at no cost, receive study related physical examinations, investigational vaccine and may be compensated for time and travel related to the study.