Origin of the Term Dengue: A Historical Overview

The term "dengue" is derived from the Swahili word "dinga", which means "cramp" or "seize". This term was first used to describe the disease in the 17th century by a Portuguese physician, Garcia d'Orta, who observed the symptoms of the disease in India. The term "dengue" was later adopted by the English and French in the 18th and 19th centuries.