Dengue Virus

Dengue is transmitted by the bite of an Aedes mosquito infected with any one of the four dengue viruses. It occurs in tropical and sub-tropical areas of the world. Symptoms appear 3—14 days after the infective bite. Dengue fever is a febrile illness that affects infants, young children and adults.


Symptoms range from a mild fever, to incapacitating high fever, with severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pain, and rash. There are no specific antiviral medicines for dengue. It is important to maintain hydration. Use of acetylsalicylic acid (e.g. aspirin) and non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g. Ibuprofen) is not recommended.

Dengue haemorrhagic fever (fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, bleeding) is a potentially lethal complication, affecting mainly children. Early clinical diagnosis and careful clinical management by experienced physicians and nurses increase survival of patients.

Dengue has emerged as a worldwide problem only since the 1950s. Although dengue no longer occurs in the continental United States, it is endemic in Puerto Rico, Samoa and Guam, and occurs in many popular tourist destinations in Latin America and Southeast Asia.

[Link: http://www.who.int/topics/dengue/en/]

[Link: http://www.cdc.gov/dengue/]