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Dengue viruses infect humans in most tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. In a recent prospective study, Anderson and colleagues evaluated the burden of dengue illness in a cohort of schoolchildren in northern Thailand (from 1998 through 2002, a total of 8707 children aged 5–15 years). They assessed the participants and collected serum samples three times during the dengue season (June through November) each year. They also assessed participants when they missed school, collecting acute and convalescent samples from those with acute febrile illnesses.
During the 5-year study period, 11% of 3056 febrile illnesses were confirmed dengue infections. Large year-to-year variations were seen in the proportion of febrile illnesses caused by d…