Dengue virus disease is a serious but rarely fatal mosquito-borne illness. Symptoms include high fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, and a characteristic skin rash. Severe cases can cause fluid accumulation in the lungs and brain, which can be fatal. The World Health Organization estimates that dengue virus disease affects 390 million people each year, with 96 million symptomatic cases and 40,000 deaths.
The severity of dengue virus disease depends on the following factors:
Dengue virus disease is diagnosed based on the patient's symptoms and a blood test. There is no specific treatment for dengue virus disease. Treatment is supportive, and includes rest, fluids, and pain relievers. Severe cases may require hospitalization and treatment with intravenous fluids and oxygen.
The best way to prevent dengue virus disease is to avoid mosquito bites. This can be done by:
Vaccines are available for some strains of dengue virus. However, these vaccines are not widely available, and they are not effective against all strains of the virus.