Dengue

What Is It?

Dengue is a viral disease spread by mosquitos.

Dengue affects as many as 390 million people globally every year and can cause severe, life-threatening illness. It occurs in warm, humid environments throughout the Americas, Africa, Asia, the Pacific Islands, and parts of Australia. Unlike malaria or Japanese encephalitis, dengue is more common in urban and suburban areas where conditions are suitable for the mosquito. There are four different viruses that cause dengue, all transmitted by the same mosquitos.

How is it Acquired?

Dengue is spread by mosquitos.

A single encounter with an infected mosquito is all that is needed to become sick with dengue. The mosquito that spreads dengue prefers to live in and around human residences in urbanized areas, and it bites throughout the day.

Any traveler to a dengue-affected area has a chance of being infected.

In some places, dengue is seasonal, but, in others, transmission occurs year-round. Travelers to high-altitude destinations may not have to worry about dengue, unless they pass through low-lying areas.

Dengue can be severe. Those likely to develop a severe form of the disease include the elderly and those with pre-existing chronic conditions.

Signs and Symptoms

Dengue is very similar to Zika and chikungunya.

Symptoms of dengue include:

• Fever
• Headache
• Body aches
• Pain behind the eyes
• Loss of appetite and nausea
• Sometimes rash

The severity of illness varies from a very mild infection to a severe, hemorrhagic disease that can be fatal. Severe symptoms may begin after the illness has appeared to improve and include:

• Abdominal pain
• Bleeding of the gums
• Fever
• Vomiting blood

In most cases, symptoms last five to seven days. Fatigue and depression may persist for weeks after the illness.

Precautions to Take

Talk to a healthcare provider about how to avoid mosquito bites by the mosquitos that transmit dengue, Zika, and chikungunya.

Some options include:

• Staying in buildings that have window and door screens to help keep mosquitos out
• Using air conditioning
• Using mosquito repellent on bare skin
• Treating clothes and shoes with mosquito repellent
• Wearing long pants and long-sleeved shirts, socks, and shoes

In May of 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a vaccine for dengue disease in children aged 9–16 and living in an area where dengue is common and who have had previous, laboratory-confirmed dengue infection. However, there is no vaccine available for adult travelers, so precautions focus on avoiding mosquito bites.

Check out the Mosquito Protection Guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the American Mosquito Control Association for more information.