University of Nebraska Medical Center
University of Nebraska Medical Center

Dengue Fever

Explore this page for Dengue Fever information and news. 

Dengue Fever mosquito

 About Dengue Fever

 Dengue fever is the most common mosquito-borne viral illness in the world and is common in tropical and subtropical regions—and it’s a big global health issue. It can range from a miserable flu-like sickness to a dangerous, life-threatening disease if it becomes severe. Dengue is caused by the dengue virus (DENV), which has four closely related types (DENV-1 to DENV-4). You can get dengue more than once, and subsequent infections raise the risk of severe disease.

What to know: 

  • Dengue is transmitted through the bite of infected Aedes mosquitoes, which bite during the daytime especially early morning and late afternoon.

  • Dengue does not spread from person to person. 
  • Dengue is primarly found in Southeast Asia, South Asia, Africa, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Islands. 
  • Symptoms usually start 4–10 days after a mosquito bite, and include sudden high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pain, extreme fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and skin rash. 

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