What should you know about dengue fever transmission?

A mosquito can acquire the dengue virus while feeding on someone who has virus in their blood. After the virus develops inside the mosquito, a later bite can pass it to another person. The illness itself is not spread by sharing food, touching, coughing, or sitting near someone. A person with dengue can still be a source for mosquitoes, so preventing bites while unwell helps break the cycle.

Symptoms may include Fever, headache, muscle aches, joint pain, chills, or easy bruising. These symptoms can have other causes, so they do not identify dengue on their own.

Use an insect repellent according to its label, wear loose clothing that covers the arms and legs, and use screens or air conditioning where available. Sleep under a mosquito net if the room is exposed to mosquitoes. Empty or cover containers that hold water around the home, including plant saucers and buckets, because standing water can support mosquito breeding.

If you develop a fever after living in or visiting an area where dengue occurs, arrange a GP Consultation and mention the travel or local exposure. While ill, continue careful bite prevention so mosquitoes cannot pick up the virus from you.

Seek prompt medical advice for a fever with worsening weakness, repeated vomiting, severe abdominal pain, bleeding, unusual bruising, breathing difficulty, confusion, or faintness. Urgent assessment is also appropriate if a person cannot drink enough or is passing very little urine. Symptoms can change as the fever settles, so improvement in temperature does not always mean the illness has fully passed.

Ask whether your symptoms and recent mosquito exposure warrant dengue testing, which medicines are suitable, how to maintain fluids, and what warning signs should prompt urgent review.