Eupatorium Perfoliatum and Dengue Fever
A History of Homeopathic Use
Homeoprophylaxis and Research
Introduction
Eupatorium perfoliatum, commonly known as boneset, has a long history in herbal medicine and homeopathy for febrile illnesses characterized by intense aching, chills, headache, and the distinctive sensation of severe pain in the bones and muscles. These characteristics have made Eupatorium perfoliatum (EP) particularly interesting to homeopathic practitioners during outbreaks of dengue fever, historically called “breakbone fever” because of the intense musculoskeletal pain that can accompany the infection.
Over the past several decades, EP has moved beyond individual homeopathic prescribing and has been used in several community-based dengue interventions. These have included both treatment and homeoprophylaxis—the homeopathic practice of administering a selected remedy to people who are not yet ill during an epidemic.
Published reports document EP use in Brazil, Thailand, India and other countries, with some interventions involving tens and even hundreds of thousands of people.
Why Eupatorium perfoliatum?
Within classical homeopathy, epidemic prescribing has historically involved identifying a genus epidemicus—a remedy whose symptom picture most closely resembles the characteristic symptom pattern appearing across many patients during a particular epidemic.
Eupatorium perfoliatum has a traditional homeopathic picture that overlaps with several common manifestations of dengue, particularly:
intense aching of muscles and bones
severe limb and joint pain
headache
chills followed by fever
marked thirst
nausea or vomiting
profound weakness and exhaustion
soreness accompanying fever
Because severe musculoskeletal pain is so characteristic of classical dengue, EP has repeatedly been considered as a possible genus epidemicus during dengue outbreaks.
This ultimately led researchers and public-health practitioners in several countries to investigate whether EP might have a role not only in treatment but also as a prophylactic intervention.
Historical use of EP for Dengue
Early Community Homeoprophylaxis
São José do Rio Preto, Brazil 2001
One of the earliest modern community interventions specifically involving Eupatorium perfoliatum occurred during a dengue outbreak in São José do Rio Preto in São Paulo state. Approximately 1,959 residents living in an area with a high incidence of dengue were reportedly offered Eupatorium perfoliatum 30cH - A single dose. The intervention was conducted in the Cristo Rei neighborhood, which had experienced particularly high dengue activity. According to a later review of the program, dengue cases in the area declined from approximately: 142 cases before the intervention to 26 cases afterward. This represented a reported reduction of approximately 81.5%. Reductions in four comparison areas of the city reportedly ranged from approximately 10% to 58%.
Brazil: The Three-Remedy Dengue Complex
Brazil subsequently experimented with a different approach. Rather than administering EP alone, programs used a combination consisting of Eupatorium perfoliatum 30c, Phosphorus 30c, and Crotalus horridus 30c. The remedies were reportedly administered as a single-dose homeopathic complex.
São José do Rio Preto 2007
Approximately 20,000 doses of this combination were reportedly offered to the population. The available data from this program are incomplete, making it difficult to draw meaningful conclusions regarding effectiveness.
Macaé, Rio de Janeiro 2007
A much larger public-health intervention occurred in Macaé. Approximately 156,000 doses of the EP/Phosphorus/Crotalus preparation were distributed.
A subsequent report stated that dengue incidence during the first three months of 2008 was approximately 93% lower than during the corresponding period of 2007, while dengue incidence elsewhere in Rio de Janeiro state reportedly increased. These Brazilian programs nevertheless represent some of the largest documented public-health applications of homeopathic preparations containing Eupatorium perfoliatum.
Thailand 2014 and 2016
Eupatorium perfoliatum 200C
One of the largest documented EP homeoprophylaxis programs occurred in Thailand. Between 2014 and 2016, researchers retrospectively examined dengue hemorrhagic fever incidence among residents of:
153 villages;
15 districts;
two community hospitals; and
15 district health-promotion hospitals.
The total population studied was 499,637 people. Of these 325,830 received Eupatorium perfoliatum 200C and 173,807 did not receive EP 200C. The investigators followed dengue incidence for up to 120 days following implementation. Among the entire population, 244 cases of dengue hemorrhagic fever were identified. Of these 39 occurred among the 325,830 EP recipients and 205 occurred among the 173,807 people who had not taken EP. The investigators calculated a relative risk of RR = 0.1015 with a reported 95% confidence interval of 0.07–0.14. From these figures, the authors calculated 89.9% effectiveness. The results were subsequently published in the Thai Journal of Health Education in 2019. This is an unusually large population for a homeopathic dengue intervention.
India: Eupatorium perfoliatum Becomes a Major Research Focus
India's Central Council for Research in Homeopathy (CCRH) subsequently conducted several investigations into EP and dengue. One particularly important development was the use of Eupatorium perfoliatum 30C as a community prophylactic during dengue outbreaks.
Delhi 2017 Dengue Outbreak
A prospective community study was conducted in six urban slum clusters in Delhi during the 2017 dengue outbreak. The final analysis included 40,769 participants. They were divided into EP cohort: 28,321 people and Control cohort: 12,448 people. Participants receiving the intervention were given Eupatorium perfoliatum 30C. One dose once weekly for 10 weeks. Both groups received educational information concerning dengue prevention.
The incidence of laboratory-confirmed dengue was reported as EP group: 2.57 cases per 10,000 person-weeks versus Control group: 7.55 cases per 10,000 person-weeks.
Investigators calculated a 65.77% protective effect against laboratory-confirmed dengue.
They also reported a 52.58% protective effect against acute febrile illness. No hospitalization was reported among laboratory-confirmed dengue cases in the EP cohort, compared with hospitalization among 4.35% of confirmed cases in the control cohort. No dengue-related deaths occurred in either group. The investigators reported no adverse events attributed to EP administration. The study was published in Complementary Medicine Research in 2023.
A Second Large Delhi Study
Another prospective community study subsequently evaluated EP 30C among residents of three Delhi slum communities. The study included 20,607 participants. Of these 15,298 received EP 30C and 5,309 were controls. The dosing protocol was particularly well documented. Children 1–5 years old received 2 medicated globules while participants older than 5 years received 4 medicated globules. Both groups were followed during the intervention and observation period. The medicine group received Eupatorium perfoliatum 30C once weekly for 10 weeks.
For laboratory-confirmed dengue 26 cases occurred among 15,298 EP recipients versus 33 cases among 5,309 controls. The investigators calculated an unadjusted 72.78% protective effect against laboratory-confirmed dengue. When probable dengue and laboratory-confirmed dengue were combined, the calculated protective effect was 59.59%. The research was published online in October 2024 and appeared in the 2025 volume of the journal Homeopathy.
Cuba: A Multi-Remedy Approach
Reports from Cuba describe approximately 25,000 dengue-positive patients receiving a homeopathic complex containing Bryonia alba, Eupatorium perfoliatum, Gelsemium sempervirens, and Dengue nosode. Reports summarized by Indian homeopathic research institutions described improvement in clinical condition and shorter hospital stays.
Two Principal Homeoprophylaxis Protocols
Looking across the documented programs, two EP protocols stand out.
Thailand
Remedy: Eupatorium perfoliatumPotency: 200CPopulation receiving EP: 325,830Study population: 499,637Design: Retrospective cohortReported calculated effectiveness: 89.9% against dengue hemorrhagic fever.
Delhi
Remedy: Eupatorium perfoliatumPotency: 30CSchedule: Once weekly for 10 weeks
The 2017 study included 28,321 EP recipients with a reported: 65.77% protective effect against laboratory-confirmed dengue. The subsequent Delhi study included 15,298 EP recipients and reported: 72.78% protective effect against laboratory-confirmed dengue.These findings are noteworthy because similar associations appeared in separate populations and study periods, although the methodological limitations prevent treating the percentages as established preventive efficacy.
EP 30C vs. EP 200C
The historical record does not establish that one potency is superior to another. Instead, different investigators used different protocols.
Brazil primarily reported:
EP 30C/30cH
Thailand investigated:
EP 200C
and the large Delhi cohorts investigated:
EP 30C.
The frequency of administration also varied considerably. Brazil's early intervention used a single dose, whereas the Delhi researchers administered EP weekly for ten weeks. This variation is important because there is not yet a standardized, clinically validated EP homeoprophylaxis protocol for dengue.
What Does the Evidence Actually Tell Us?
The historical record establishes something quite clearly Eupatorium perfoliatum has genuinely been used on a large scale in attempts to prevent dengue. This is not based solely upon anecdotal recommendations by individual homeopaths. Documented interventions have included populations ranging from approximately 2,000 people to more than 300,000 EP recipients. Several observational studies have reported substantially lower dengue incidence among populations receiving EP.
Conclusion
Eupatorium perfoliatum occupies an unusual position in the history of homeopathic responses to dengue. Its symptom picture—particularly intense muscular, joint and “bone-breaking” pain—has long made it a prominent dengue remedy within homeopathic materia medica. Beginning with community interventions in Brazil and continuing through large programs in Thailand and prospective studies in India, EP has been administered to substantial populations in attempts to reduce dengue incidence. Among the most notable documented findings are:
Brazil, 2001: EP 30cH, approximately 1,959 recipients, with an 81.5% decline reported in the intervention area.
Thailand, 2014–2016: EP 200C, 325,830 recipients within a population of 499,637, with investigators calculating 89.9% effectiveness against dengue hemorrhagic fever.
Delhi, 2017: EP 30C weekly for ten weeks, 28,321 recipients, with investigators calculating a 65.77% protective effect against laboratory-confirmed dengue.
Delhi, later study: EP 30C weekly for ten weeks, 15,298 recipients, with investigators calculating a 72.78% protective effect against laboratory-confirmed dengue.
Educational Notice
This article is provided for historical and educational discussion of homeopathy and published research. It is intended to bring additional awareness to potential supportive care for Dengue Fever. It is not intended to diagnose, treat or replace conventional treatment.
Published Sources
Keawmuneewong et al. (2019), Nayak et al. (2023), Nayak et al. (2025), Marino (2008), and Martinez & Nunes (2014).
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