PROGRAMMED TO KILL
The diseases that puzzle science
Synopsis
This 2-part series investigates the most infamous and deadly tropical diseases: dengue fever and melioidosis.
Dengue was first identified over 200 years ago. It is the world's most debilitating, rapidly spreading, prevalent mosquito-borne viral disease, and yet it is extremely difficult to treat. But there is hope. The first-ever dengue vaccine has just been released. A historic breakthrough in medical science
Melioidosis is one of theworld'ss least-known tropical ailments that torments its victims, baffles clinicians, and intrigues scientists. Classified as a biological weapon, it is a life-threatening disease caused by relatively harmless soil-dwelling bacteria that can remain dormant in a host for weeks, months, or even decades, or kill within 48 hours.