Dengue Fever
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- Published in Virus and Disease
A debilitating viral disease of the tropics transmitted by mosquitoes causing sudden fever and acute pains in the joints.
Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne tropical disease caused by the dengue virus. Symptoms include headache, muscle and joint pains and fever plus a characteristic skin rash similar to measles. In a small proportion of infections, Dengue Fever develops into the life-threatening dengue hemorrhagic fever, resulting in bleeding, low levels of blood platelets and blood plasma leakage, or into dengue shock syndrome, where dangerously low blood pressure occurs.
Dengue is transmitted by several species of mosquito within the genus Aedes. Presently there is no commercially available vaccine, so prevention is sought by reducing the number of mosquitoes and limiting exposure to bites.
What can travelers do to protect themselves from Dengue Fever?
