Dengue Fever

What is dengue fever?

Dengue fever is a disease caused by a virus spread by the bite of an infected mosquito, uncommon in Wisconsin. The disease is common in most tropical and subtropical areas (including some islands in the Caribbean, Mexico, most countries of South and Central America, the Pacific, Asia and parts of tropical Africa). Cases originating in the United States are virtually unknown, but occasionally residents from or visitors to countries where dengue fever occurs may arrive in this country and develop dengue fever.

Who gets dengue fever?

Dengue fever may occur in people of all ages. Children usually have a milder disease than adults.

How is dengue fever spread?

Dengue fever is spread by the bite of infected Aedes mosquitoes. It cannot be spread from one person to another.

What are the symptoms of dengue fever and dengue hemmorhagic fever?

Dengue fever is characterized by the rapid development of a fever that may last from three to seven days, intense headache, joint and muscle pain, loss of appetite, diarrhea and a rash. The rash develops on the feet or legs 3 to 4 days after the beginning of the fever.

Symptoms of dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) include disorders in blood clotting that can result in internal bleeding. DHF is more severe and associated with loss of appetite, vomiting, high fever, headache and abdominal pain. Shock and circulatory failure may occur. Untreated hemorrhagic dengue results in death in up to 50 percent of cases.

How soon do symptoms occur?

Dengue fever may occur from three to 14 days after the bite from an infected mosquito, commonly within 5 to 7 days.

Does past infection with dengue virus make a person immune?

There are four strains of dengue virus. After disease, specific immunity is produced to the infecting strain of dengue virus, however, infection with the other strains of dengue virus is still possible.

What is the treatment for dengue fever?

There is no specific treatment available. Intravenous fluids and oxygen therapy are often used for patients who experience shock during their illness.

What can be done to prevent the spread of dengue fever?

Since cases of dengue fever appearing in Wisconsin are imported, control measures are limited to advising travelers to affected areas of the risk of exposure to infected mosquitoes. Use of mosquito netting and repellents may be helpful in minimizing exposure.

Information provided by the
Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services

Each year, Medical College of Wisconsin physicians care for more than 180,000 patients, representing nearly 500,000 patient visits. Medical College physicians practice at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital, the Milwaukee VA Medical Center, and many other hospitals and clinics in Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin.