What should you know about dengue bite signs?

An infected mosquito bite can leave a small itchy or red area, but it may leave no obvious mark at all. The skin reaction is not specific to dengue and cannot show whether the mosquito carried the virus. Dengue is identified from the wider illness pattern and, when appropriate, clinical testing.

Several days after exposure, a person may develop sudden fever, headache, chills, muscle aches, joint pain, or unusual tiredness. Easy bruising or bleeding can be a warning sign, particularly when it is new or worsening.

Note when and where the exposure may have happened, but do not wait for a distinctive mark before seeking advice. Monitor fever, drinking, urination, vomiting, rash, and bleeding. Rest and drink fluids. Avoid aspirin or ibuprofen unless a clinician specifically tells you to use them while dengue is being considered.

Arrange a GP Consultation if fever or significant body aches develop after possible exposure. Until you are assessed, limit further mosquito bites with repellent, covered skin, and screens.

Seek urgent help for severe abdominal pain, repeated vomiting, bleeding from the nose or gums, blood in vomit or stools, fainting, confusion, marked sleepiness, or breathing difficulty. Prompt care is also needed when drinking becomes difficult or weakness is rapidly increasing.

Ask how to distinguish a local bite reaction from illness, whether blood testing is useful at this stage, what fluid plan to follow, and which warning signs require hospital care. Share your travel and exposure history and your current medicines.