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Dengue Fever
 Understanding
  Overview
  Cause
  Transmission
  Symptoms
  Diagnosis
  Treatment
  Prevention
  Complications
 Research


Dengue Fever

Symptoms

Symptoms of typical uncomplicated (classic) dengue usually start with fever within 4 to 7 days after you have been bitten by an infected mosquito and include

  • High fever, up to 105ºF
  • Severe headache
  • Retro-orbital (behind the eye) pain
  • Severe joint and muscle pain
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Rash

The rash may appear over most of your body 3 to 4 days after the fever begins, and then subsides after 1 to 2 days. You may get a second rash a few days later.

Symptoms of dengue hemorrhagic fever include all of the symptoms of classic dengue plus

  • Marked damage to blood and lymph vessels
  • Bleeding from the nose, gums, or under the skin, causing purplish bruises

This form of dengue disease can cause death.

Symptoms of dengue shock syndrome--the most severe form of dengue disease--include all of the symptoms of classic dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever, plus

  • Fluids leaking outside of blood vessels
  • Massive bleeding
  • Shock (very low blood pressure)

This form of the disease usually occurs in children (sometimes adults) experiencing their second dengue infection. It is sometimes fatal, especially in children and young adults.

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See Also

  • Discovery and Evaluation of Therapeutics Against Dengue: Workshop Summary, NITD and NIH (PDF)
  • Development of Animal Models for Dengue, NIAID Workshop Agenda, Sept. 2008
  • Research on Viral Infections
  • Selected NIAID Science Advances, 2007-2008 (PDF)
  • Related Links

    View a list of links for more information about dengue fever.

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    See Also

  • Discovery and Evaluation of Therapeutics Against Dengue: Workshop Summary, NITD and NIH (PDF)
  • Development of Animal Models for Dengue, NIAID Workshop Agenda, Sept. 2008
  • Research on Viral Infections
  • Selected NIAID Science Advances, 2007-2008 (PDF)
  • Related Links

    View a list of links for more information about dengue fever.