Dengue fever spread person to person

When a mosquito bites a person carrying dengue virus, it can later pass the virus through another bite. This makes the mosquito the bridge between people. Normal conversation, shared meals, touching, and sleeping in the same home do not usually transmit dengue. A sick person may nevertheless expose local mosquitoes, so preventing bites protects both the patient and others. Fever, headache, joint pain, muscle aches, chills, and easy bruising are symptoms worth reporting, especially after mosquito exposure.

Keep the ill person away from mosquitoes with repellent, long clothing, screens, or a bed net. Check balconies, gardens, and indoor containers for standing water and empty or cover them. Wash hands after routine care, as good hygiene remains sensible, but isolation from family is not generally needed solely because of dengue. Book a GP Consultation when symptoms suggest dengue, and record when fever began and how drinking and urination are changing.

Seek urgent help if there is bleeding, unusual bruising, severe abdominal pain, repeated vomiting, fainting, confusion, breathing difficulty, profound weakness, or inability to drink. Prompt review is also sensible for fever with a rash or strong headache after possible exposure. Warning signs can develop while the temperature is falling, so improvement in fever does not remove the need to observe symptoms.

Ask whether your symptoms fit dengue, what tests and follow-up are needed, how long bite protection should continue, and which warning signs require emergency evaluation.