Dengue fever, an acute febrile illness caused by four dengue virus serotypes, has been reported in over 100 countries and poses a threat to approximately two billion people. The haemorrhagic form of the disease, dengue haemorrhagic fever, has appeared in several countries where previously only dengue fever was reported, giving rise to concern even by the World Health Organization. The rise in dengue in tropical and sub-tropical areas of the world has been attributed to rapid population growth, expanding urbanization, inadequate municipal water supplies, and problems of solid waste disposal, factors which lead to the proliferation of the mosquito vectors. Increased movement of people, such as in tourism and migration, will lead to the spread of the disease. A tetravalent live attenuated vaccine is on the horizon, and other molecular approaches in vaccine development have shown promise. In the meantime, the only way to curb the spread of the disease is by vector control with the use of insecticides. Long-term control measures should concentrate on source reduction based on health education and community participation.