COMPUTER LITERATURE SEARCHES ON DENGUE

Many research workers, to save time, rely entirely on either on-line o r Off-line databases offered by an increasing number of information se rvices. The characteristics of eight databases, including five on-line services, were analysed in the present study concerning the retrieval of information on dengue, the most important mosquito-borne viral dis ease of humans. Differences in the rate of retrieval among databases w ere apparent, depending on the main subject of publication as well as on the geographical location of the publisher. While rates of retrieva l of references in molecular biology were generally satisfactory (most ly >70%), those in clinical medicine and epidemiology were not (<50%). The latter, as published in many dengue-endemic tropical countries, w ere found to be inadequately covered. For the global surveillance of d engue, which has increased in intensity and spread to many countries b ecause of increased international travel, the development of a new dat abase emphasizing tropical geographic medicine is highly desirable.