What should you know about source of dengue?

The mosquito acquires the virus when it feeds on an infected person, then can pass it on during a later bite. Dengue does not spread through ordinary contact such as sitting beside someone. Illness may begin with fever, headache, chills, muscle aches or joint pain. Some people develop easy bruising or other bleeding-related changes, which should be discussed promptly. A symptom page can help you understand fever or other individual symptoms, while the Dengue Fever page covers the condition as a whole.

If fever or body aches develop after mosquito exposure, arrange a clinical assessment and mention where and when the exposure occurred. A clinician may decide whether testing is appropriate and will consider other causes of fever. Rest, drink fluids if you can, and use only medicines your clinician or pharmacist considers suitable; avoid self-treating possible bleeding symptoms. Reduce further bites with covered clothing, screens and an appropriate mosquito repellent.

Seek urgent medical help for severe abdominal pain, repeated vomiting, breathing difficulty, faintness, confusion, unusual bleeding, marked weakness or inability to drink. Fever with easy bruising also deserves prompt assessment. Symptoms can change as the fever settles, so worsening illness should not be managed alone. A GP Consultation can provide an examination and a plan for testing or follow-up.

Ask whether your symptoms fit dengue or another infection, whether testing is needed now or later, which medicines are suitable, how to protect people around you from mosquito bites, and which changes should trigger urgent review.