What should you know about dengue loss of taste?

Taste may seem reduced when smell is affected, such as with a blocked or inflamed nose. A Common Cold can alter flavour perception, and COVID-19 may cause a sudden change in taste or smell. Persistent symptoms after an infection can occur with Long COVID.

Dengue can cause fever, headache, nausea and body aches, but loss of taste on its own does not establish dengue. The combination of symptoms, exposure history and examination is more useful than one symptom in isolation.

Notice whether your sense of smell is also reduced, whether your nose is blocked and when the change began. Drink enough to avoid dehydration, choose nourishing foods with textures you can tolerate and avoid spoiled food if smell is unreliable. Follow local advice about testing or limiting close contact when a respiratory infection is possible.

Arrange medical advice if the change is sudden, lasts beyond the expected illness, affects eating or drinking, or occurs with fever or breathing symptoms.

Seek urgent care for difficulty breathing, chest pain, confusion, fainting, severe dehydration or inability to swallow fluids. Loss of taste with severe headache, weakness or other rapidly worsening symptoms also warrants prompt assessment.

Ask whether smell testing, infection testing or another examination is appropriate, how to protect nutrition and hydration, and when persistent loss of taste should be reviewed.