Investigating the Theoretical Possibility of Dengue Fever in Ancient Egypt

Abstract

Dengue fever, a mosquito-borne viral disease primarily transmitted by Aedes aegypti, has become a growing global health concern, with dramatic increases in incidence in recent years. Although no direct evidence of dengue exists from ancient Egypt, this study investigates the theoretical possibility of its presence in that historical context. The approach integrates palaeoclimatic data, modern entomological and vector ecology studies, molecular clock analyses, and the interpretation of ancient Egyptian medical papyri. Special attention is given to the term temyt, described in association with dermatological and neurological symptoms in children and linked to the demon nesyt, as reinterpreted by scholars such as Bruno Halioua and Pascal Hannequin. These sources are critically re-evaluated alongside modern clinical symptomatology of dengue. Findings suggest that environmental and climatic conditions in ancient Egypt – particularly in regions like the Fayum– could have supported Aedes populations, and that certain disease descriptions may reflect empirical observations of vectorborne illnesses. While the evidence remains circumstantial and speculative, it opens new interpretative avenues regarding ancient Egyptian understandings of febrile, eruptive childhood diseases. The study concludes that dengue or dengue-like syndromes cannot be ruled out and that future interdisciplinary research, including palaeogenetic and archaeoviral approaches, may help clarify the presence of arboviral diseases in antiquity.