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More Information on Dengue Fever
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What are the signs and symptoms of dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever? |
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What is the treatment for dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever? |
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Is there a vaccine to prevent Dengue Fever?
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Dengue Fever is an illness caused by infection with one of four serotypes of a virus belonging to the genus Flavivirus. Infection with one of these serotypes does not provide cross- protective immunity, so a person living in an area where Dengue Fever transmission occurs can have four dengue fever infections during his or her lifetime. Dengue [DEN-ghee] is a flu-like viral disease spread by the bite of infected mosquitoes. Dengue hemorrhagic fever is a severe, often fatal, complication of dengue. |
| How is Dengue Fever spread? Dengue is spread by the bite of an Aedes mosquito. The mosquito transmits the disease by biting an infected person and then biting someone else. |
| What is the infectious agent
that causes dengue? Dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever are caused by any of the dengue family of viruses. Infection with one virus does not protect a person against infection with another. |
| What are the signs and symptoms
of dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever? Dengue fever usually starts suddenly with a high fever, rash, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, and muscle and joint pain. The severity of the joint pain has given dengue the name "breakbone fever." Nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite are common. The rash typically begins on the arms or legs three to four days after the beginning of the fever. The illness can last up to 10 days, but complete recovery can take as long as a month. Older children and adults are usually sicker than young children. Most dengue infections result in relatively mild illness, but some can progress to dengue hemorrhagic fever. With dengue hemorrhagic fever, the blood vessels start to leak and cause bleeding from the nose, mouth, and gums. Bruising can be a sign of bleeding inside the body. Without prompt treatment, the blood vessels can collapse, causing shock (dengue shock syndrome). Dengue hemorrhagic fever is fatal in about 5 percent of cases, mostly among children and young adults. |
| How soon after exposure do
symptoms appear? The time between the bite of a mosquito carrying dengue virus and the start of symptoms averages 4 to 6 days, with a range of 3 to 14 days. An infected person cannot spread the infection to other persons but can be a source of dengue virus for mosquitoes for about 6 days. |
| How is Dengue Fever diagnosed? Dengue Fever is diagnosed by clinical symptoms and by specific blood tests. |
| Who is at risk for dengue? Anyone who is bitten by an infected mosquito can get dengue fever. Risk factors for dengue hemorrhagic fever include a person's age and immune status, as well as the type of infecting virus. Persons who were previously infected with one or more types of dengue virus are thought to be at greater risk for developing dengue hemorrhagic fever if infected again. |
| What is the treatment for
dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever? There is no specific treatment for dengue. Persons with dengue fever should rest and drink plenty of fluids. They should be kept away from mosquitoes for the protection of others. Dengue hemorrhagic fever is treated by replacing lost fluids. Some patients need transfusions to control bleeding. |
| Can Dengue Fever be treated? There is no curative treatment for Dengue Fever. If there are no complications, recovery will occur within 1 to 2 weeks. Hospital care with intravenous fluids is usually necessary for individuals with Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever. |
| How long is an infected person
infectious to others? An individual infected with Dengue Fever is not directly infectious to other individuals except through sharing of blood contaminated needles. Untreated individuals, if bitten by Dengue Fever-capable mosquitoes, could infect a small number of mosquitoes. These could transmit Dengue Fever if they subsequently bite another human at least 1 to 2 weeks later, depending upon environmental conditions. |
| Where is dengue found? Dengue viruses occur in most tropical areas of the world. Dengue is common in Africa, Asia, the Pacific, Australia, and the Americas. It is widespread in the Caribbean basin. Dengue is most common in cities but can be found in rural areas. It is rarely found in mountainous areas above 4,000 feet. The mosquitoes that transmit dengue live among humans and breed in discarded tires, flower pots, old oil drums, and water storage containers close to human dwellings. Unlike the mosquitoes that cause malaria, dengue mosquitoes bite during the day. |
| Is there a vaccine to prevent
Dengue Fever? There is no vaccine which can prevent Dengue Fever, however such vaccines are in development. |