Question: Which virus is the most dangerous malaria or dengue virus?

Erin Pallott answered on 29 Apr 2024:

Both of these diseases are endemic to much of Africa, Asia and South America and transmitted to people through mosquitoes. Dengue is caused by a virus, and malaria is caused by a parasite.
Both are very serious diseases, and climate change is causing them to spread further.
But I’d say malaria is the more dangerous disease.
Dengue virus infects approximately 400 million people a year, but 75% of those people will not have symptoms, and approximately 40,000 die per year due to dengue fever. Malaria has approximately 210 million cases a year, and 600,000 deaths. So malaria currently kills more people per year overall and has a higher mortality rate for those infected. Both are still very serious and in need of better vaccines!