What causes dengue fever?

A mosquito can pick up dengue virus when it feeds on an infected person. The virus then remains in the mosquito and may be passed to another person during a later bite. Aedes mosquitoes often breed in water collected in containers near homes and may bite during the day. Dengue is not normally passed by sharing food, touching someone or being close to them.

Once infected, a person may develop fever, headache, chills, muscle aches and joint pain after an interval. Easy bruising or bleeding needs prompt attention. Symptoms overlap with other infections, so the cause cannot be established from a symptom list alone.

Use repellent as directed, cover skin with clothing, use window screens and remove standing water from containers, plant saucers and other outdoor items. If you become ill after possible exposure, avoid further mosquito bites while seeking medical advice. A GP Consultation can review your history, examine you and decide whether testing or follow-up is needed.

Obtain urgent medical help for severe abdominal pain, ongoing vomiting, bleeding from the nose or gums, blood in vomit or stool, fainting, confusion, breathing difficulty, profound sleepiness or very little urine. Increasing weakness, dehydration or easy bruising should prompt medical review. Urgency is determined by these warning signs, not by guessing the cause from fever alone.

Ask whether your illness could be Dengue Fever, whether testing is suitable, which medicines to avoid, how to protect household members from mosquitoes and what symptoms require emergency help.