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CDCFrequentlyAskedQuestionsDengue

FrequentlyAskedQuestions
Q.Whatisdengue?
A.Dengue(pronouncedden'gee)isadiseasecausedbyanyoneoffourcloselyrelateddengue
viruses(DENV1,DENV2,DENV3,orDENV4).Thevirusesaretransmittedtohumansbythe
biteofaninfectedmosquito.IntheWesternHemisphere,theAedesaegyptimosquitoisthemost
importanttransmitterorvectorofdengueviruses,althougha2001outbreakinHawaiiwas
transmittedbyAedesalbopictus.Itisestimatedthatthereareover100millioncasesofdengue
worldwideeachyear.
Q.Whatisdenguehemorrhagicfever(DHF)?
A.DHFisamoresevereformofdengueinfection.Itcanbefatalifunrecognizedandnotproperly
treatedinatimelymanner.DHFiscausedbyinfectionwiththesamevirusesthatcausedengue
fever.Withgoodmedicalmanagement,mortalityduetoDHFcanbelessthan1%.
Q.Howaredengueanddenguehemorrhagicfever(DHF)spread?
A.DengueistransmittedtopeoplebythebiteofanAedesmosquitothatisinfectedwithadengue
virus.Themosquitobecomesinfectedwithdengueviruswhenitbitesapersonwhohasdengue
virusintheirblood.ThepersoncaneitherhavesymptomsofdenguefeverorDHF,ortheymay
havenosymptoms.Afteraboutoneweek,themosquitocanthentransmittheviruswhilebitinga
healthyperson.Denguecannotbespreaddirectlyfrompersontoperson.
Q.Whatarethesymptomsofthedisease?
A.Theprincipalsymptomsofdenguefeverarehighfever,severeheadache,severepainbehind
theeyes,jointpain,muscleandbonepain,rash,andmildbleeding(e.g.,noseorgumsbleed,easy
bruising).Generally,youngerchildrenandthosewiththeirfirstdengueinfectionhaveamilder
illnessthanolderchildrenandadults.
Denguehemorrhagicfeverischaracterizedbyafeverthatlastsfrom2to7days,withgeneral
signsandsymptomsconsistentwithdenguefever.Whenthefeverdeclines,symptomsincluding
persistentvomiting,severeabdominalpain,anddifficultybreathing,maydevelop.Thismarksthe
beginningofa24to48hourperiodwhenthesmallestbloodvessels(capillaries)become
excessivelypermeable(leaky),allowingthefluidcomponenttoescapefromthebloodvessels
intotheperitoneum(causingascites)andpleuralcavity(leadingtopleuraleffusions).Thismay
leadtofailureofthecirculatorysystemandshock,followedbydeath,ifcirculatoryfailureisnot
corrected.Inaddition,thepatientwithDHFhasalowplateletcountandhemorrhagic
manifestations,tendencytobruiseeasilyorothertypesofskinhemorrhages,bleedingnoseor
gums,andpossiblyinternalbleeding.
Q.Whatisthetreatmentfordengue?
A.Thereisnospecificmedicationfortreatmentofadengueinfection.Personswhothinkthey
havedengueshoulduseanalgesics(painrelievers)withacetaminophenandavoidthose
containingaspirin.Theyshouldalsorest,drinkplentyoffluids,andconsultaphysician.Ifthey
feelworse(e.g.,developvomitingandsevereabdominalpain)inthefirst24hoursafterthefever
declines,theyshouldgoimmediatelytothehospitalforevaluation.
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CDCFrequentlyAskedQuestionsDengue

Q.Isthereaneffectivetreatmentfordenguehemorrhagicfever(DHF)?
A.Aswithdenguefever,thereisnospecificmedicationforDHF.Itcanhoweverbeeffectively
treatedbyfluidreplacementtherapyifanearlyclinicaldiagnosisismade.DHFmanagement
frequentlyrequireshospitalization.PhysicianswhosuspectthatapatienthasDHFmaywantto
consulttheDengueBranchatCDC,formoreinformation.
Q.Wherecanoutbreaksofdengueoccur?
A.OutbreaksofdengueoccurprimarilyinareaswhereAe.aegypti(sometimesalsoAe.
albopictus)mosquitoeslive.Thisincludesmosttropicalurbanareasoftheworld.Dengueviruses
maybeintroducedintoareasbytravelerswhobecomeinfectedwhilevisitingotherareasofthe
tropicswheredenguecommonlyexists.
Q.Whatcanbedonetoreducetheriskofacquiringdengue?
A.Thereisnovaccineforpreventingdengue.Thebestpreventivemeasureforresidentslivingin
areasinfestedwithAe.aegyptiistoeliminatetheplaceswherethemosquitolayshereggs,
primarilyartificialcontainersthatholdwater.
Itemsthatcollectrainwaterortostorewater(forexample,plasticcontainers,55gallondrums,
buckets,orusedautomobiletires)shouldbecoveredorproperlydiscarded.Petandanimal
wateringcontainersandvaseswithfreshflowersshouldbeemptiedandcleaned(toremoveeggs)
atleastonceaweek.Thiswilleliminatethemosquitoeggsandlarvaeandreducethenumberof
mosquitoespresentintheseareas.
Usingairconditioningorwindowanddoorscreensreducestheriskofmosquitoescoming
indoors.Properapplicationofmosquitorepellentscontaining20%to30%DEETastheactive
ingredientonexposedskinandclothingdecreasestheriskofbeingbittenbymosquitoes.Therisk
ofdengueinfectionforinternationaltravelersappearstobesmall.Thereisincreasedriskifan
epidemicisinprogressorvisitorsareinhousingwithoutairconditioningorscreenedwindows
anddoors.
Q.Howcanwepreventepidemicsofdenguehemorrhagicfever(DHF)?
A.Theemphasisfordenguepreventionisonsustainable,communitybased,integratedmosquito
control,withlimitedrelianceoninsecticides(chemicallarvicides,andadulticides).Preventing
epidemicdiseaserequiresacoordinatedcommunityefforttoincreaseawarenessaboutdengue
fever/DHF,howtorecognizeit,andhowtocontrolthemosquitothattransmitsit.Residentsare
responsibleforkeepingtheiryardsandpatiosfreeofstandingwaterwheremosquitoescanbe
produced.
Pagelastreviewed:September3,2009
Pagelastupdated:September27,2012
Contentsource:CentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention

CentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention1600CliftonRoadAtlanta,GA30329
4027,USA
800CDCINFO(8002324636)TTY:(888)2326348ContactCDCINFO

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