Dengue Fever

Dengue fever is a painful, debilitating mosquito-borne disease caused by any one of four closely related dengue viruses. These viruses are related to the viruses that cause West Nile infection and yellow fever.

Symptoms #

Symptoms, which usually begin four to six days after infection and last for up to 10 days, may include

• Sudden, high fever

• Severe headaches

• Pain behind the eyes

• Severe joint and muscle pain

• Fatigue

• Nausea

• Vomiting

• Skin rash, which appears two to five days after the onset of fever

• Mild bleeding (such a nose bleed, bleeding gums, or easy bruising)

Diagnosis #

• Doctors can diagnose dengue infection with a blood test to check for the virus or antibodies to it.

• If you become sick after traveling to a tropical area, let your doctor know.

• This will allow your doctor to evaluate the possibility that your symptoms were caused by a dengue infection.

Treatment for Dengue Fever #

• There is no specific medicine to treat dengue infection.

• If you think you may have dengue fever, you should use pain relievers with acetaminophen and avoid medicines with aspirin, which could worsen bleeding.

• You should also rest, drink plenty of fluids, and see your doctor.

• If you start to feel worse in the first 24 hours after your fever goes down, you should get to a hospital immediately to be checked for complications.

Prevention #

• The best way to prevent the disease is to prevent bites by infected mosquitoes, particularly if you are living in or traveling to a tropical area.

• This involves protecting yourself and making efforts to keep the mosquito population down.

• In 2019, the FDA approved a vaccine called Dengvaxia to help prevent the disease from occurring in adolescents aged 9 to 16 who have already been infected by dengue.

• But, there currently is no vaccine to prevent the general population from contracting it.

To protect yourself:

• Use mosquito repellents, even indoors.

• When outdoors, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants tucked into socks.

• When indoors, use air conditioning if available.

• Make sure window and door screens are secure and free of holes. If sleeping areas are not screened or air conditioned, use mosquito nets.

• If you have symptoms of dengue, speak to your doctor.