What is dengue fever?
Dengue fever is an illness you can get from the bite of a mosquito carrying one of four types of dengue virus (DENV). The virus is most commonly found in tropical and subtropical regions, including Central and South America, Africa, parts of Asia and the Pacific Islands.
Dengue isn’t contagious from person to person except when passed from a pregnant person to their child. Symptoms are usually mild with your first infection, but if you get another infection with a different version of DENV, your risk of severe complications goes up.
What are the symptoms of dengue fever?
Most dengue infections don’t cause symptoms. If you do have symptoms, high fever (104°F/40°C) is typical, along with:
Dengue fever symptoms start to appear four to 10 days after a mosquito bite and can last three to seven days. About 1 in 20 people sick with dengue will develop severe dengue after their initial symptoms begin to fade.
Severe dengue (dengue hemorrhagic fever)
Severe dengue is a life-threatening worsening of dengue symptoms. Warning signs of severe dengue are usually seen 24 to 48 hours after your fever goes away.
Severe dengue is a medical emergency that can be fatal. If you have dengue or live in an area where dengue is common, go to the nearest ER immediately if you experience any of these symptoms:
What causes dengue fever?
Dengue fever is caused by one of four dengue viruses. When a mosquito infected with the dengue virus bites you, the virus can enter your blood and make copies of itself. The virus itself and your immune system’s response can make you feel sick.
The virus can destroy parts of your blood that form clots and give structure to your blood vessels. This, along with certain chemicals that your immune system creates, can make your blood leak out of your vessels and cause internal bleeding. This leads to the life-threatening symptoms of severe dengue.
How does dengue fever spread?
Dengue is spread by Aedes mosquitos, which also carry viruses like Zika and chikungunya. The mosquitos bites someone with dengue fever and then bites someone else, causing them to become infected.
Is dengue fever contagious?
Dengue fever isn’t contagious directly from one person to another like the flu. The only way to get dengue from another person is if a pregnant person becomes infected. If you’re pregnant and get dengue, you can pass it to your baby during pregnancy or childbirth.
How is dengue fever treated?
There’s no medicine that treats dengue fever. Your healthcare provider will give you recommendations on how to manage your symptoms and if and when you should go to the ER.
How do I manage the symptoms of dengue fever?
Managing your symptoms is the only way to treat dengue fever. Follow your healthcare provider’s recommendations, which may include:
- Keeping yourself hydrated by drinking plenty of water and fluids.
- Getting as much rest as possible.
- Treating pain with acetaminophen (like Tylenol®) only.
- Do not take ibuprofen (like Advil®) or aspirin. This can increase your risk of life-threatening internal bleeding.
How is dengue fever diagnosed?
Dengue fever is diagnosed with a blood test. Your healthcare provider will take a sample of blood through a vein and send it to a lab to look for signs of dengue virus. This may also identify which of the four versions you have. Your provider can use a blood test to look for other viruses that cause similar symptoms.