The survey of dengue fever - being conducted in Sri Lanka by the Ministry of Health with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine - provides much-needed data for fighting the disease, according to dengue pioneer Duane Gubler, from Duke-University NUS Medical School in Singapore, speaking at the American Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene Annual Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia (November 3-7, 2010). He explains how an accurate survey of the disease makes it possible to probe the changing nature of the mosquito-borne dengue virus, develop effective treatments, help plan for the elimination of vectors, and develop a vaccine.