Dengue fever is a virus-borne illness spread by mosquito bites infected with one of the dengue viruses. The symptoms are normally flu-like, but they can progress to severe dengue (dengue hemorrhagic fever), which is a potentially fatal infection. A second infection doubles your chances of developing severe symptoms. If you’ve already had dengue fever, you can get vaccinated.
What is Dengue Fever?
Dengue fever is an infection caused by a mosquito bite carrying one of four strains of dengue virus (DENV). Tropical and subtropical locations, such as Central and South America, Africa, portions of Asia, and the Pacific Islands, are the most common hosts for the virus.
Except when passed from a pregnant woman to her kid, dengue is not communicable from person to person. The symptoms of your initial infection are usually modest, but if you have another infection with a different type of DENV, your chance of severe problems increases.
Who is affected by dengue fever?
Dengue fever is most common in Central and South America, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific Islands. Dengue fever is also seen in several locations of the United States. More over half of the world’s population lives in or travels to these places, putting them at risk. Children and the elderly are more vulnerable to serious sickness.
How widespread is dengue fever?
According to research, about 400 million people are infected with dengue each year, but the vast majority (almost 80%) experience no symptoms.
Is it possible to be immune to dengue fever?
Yes, once infected with a variant of the dengue virus, you can develop immunity to it. This is problematic since the virus (DENV) has at least four variants (strains).
Your immune system has tools that it can employ to recognize infections and improve its ability to fight them. When your body fights a virus, it searches its toolbox for the weapon (antibody) that can destroy that specific threat.
Antibodies are tailored to each dangerous intruder in your body, fitting like a key to a lock. Antibodies bind to their specific target, which your immune system then eliminates. You are unlikely to become ill with that virus again once your body has learned how to resist it.
You should not be able to get one of the four strains of DENV again after contracting it. However, the antibodies for that strain do not fit other variations perfectly. If you are later infected with a different type of DENV, it can use this imperfect match to deceive your immune system (antibody-dependent enhancement).
The different strain can be grabbed by the antibody from the first strain you had and pushed into your cells, but it is not eliminated for unknown reasons. It then enters your cells without your cells realizing it is hazardous. This allows the virus to infect you more easily and cause more serious sickness.
Tests and Diagnosis
How is dengue fever identified?
A blood test is used to diagnose dengue fever. Your healthcare provider will draw blood from a vein and send it to a lab to be tested for dengue virus. This may also help you determine which of the four versions you have. A blood test might be used by your provider to screen for other viruses that cause similar symptoms.
Treatment and Management
What is the treatment for dengue fever?
There is no treatment for dengue fever. Your healthcare practitioner will advise you on how to manage your symptoms and when you should go to the ER.
How do I treat dengue fever symptoms?
Dengue fever can only be treated by managing your symptoms. Follow your doctor’s suggestions, which may include:
- Stay hydrated by consuming plenty of water and fluids.
- Getting as much rest as I can.
- Only acetaminophen (Tylenol®) is used to treat pain.
- Take no ibuprofen (Advil®) or aspirin. This increases your chances of experiencing life-threatening internal bleeding.
Prevention
How can I lower my chances of getting dengue fever?
Avoiding mosquito bites and being vaccinated are the two most effective strategies to protect yourself from dengue.
Protection against mosquitoes
The greatest strategy to lower your risk of dengue fever is to avoid mosquito bites:
- Use EPA-registered insect repellents with 20% to 30% DEET or other chemicals known to deter Aedes mosquitos.
- Cover up any exposed skin when you’re outside, especially at night when mosquitos are more likely to bite.
- Remove any standing water (buckets or barrels, bird baths, or old tires that may have collected rainfall) and cover any low locations where water can collect.
- Keep mosquitos at bay by mending gaps in screens and, if possible, keeping windows and doors closed.
- In dengue-infested locations, use mosquito netting at night.
- If you’re pregnant, try to avoid visiting locations where dengue fever is frequent.
- Before you go, check with the CDC to see whether there are any sickness outbreaks in your destination.
Dengue Vaccination
The dengue vaccine (DengvaxiaTM) is only indicated if you have already had dengue. If you obtain a different version of the dengue virus in the future, it may lessen your chance of severe dengue (dengue hemorrhagic fever).
Getting the vaccine is not advised if you have never had dengue fever. catching vaccinated before catching dengue for the first time can raise your risk of severe dengue since being infected once makes you more likely to get sicker if you receive another version of the virus (antibody-dependent enhancement). Before receiving the vaccination, your healthcare provider will do a blood test to look for evidence of a past dengue illness.
Vaccination is not universally available. Travelers from the United States, for example, are not yet eligible. Consult your doctor to determine whether you are eligible for dengue immunization.
Prognosis / Outlook
What should I expect if I get dengue fever?
Most instances of dengue fever are asymptomatic or have moderate symptoms, but a more serious case may require emergency medical intervention.
What is the duration of dengue fever?
Dengue fever symptoms last three to seven days. Most individuals begin to feel better after this, but some have life-threatening acute dengue that necessitates hospitalization.
Can you beat dengue fever?
Most patients recover from dengue fever without any long-term consequences. If you have dengue fever symptoms, you have a 1 in 20 chance of developing severe dengue. If you have severe dengue and get treatment right away at a hospital or medical center, you have a better than 99% chance of recovering.
Dengue fever complications during pregnancy
If you have dengue fever while pregnant, it can lead to miscarriage, poor birth weight, or early birth. To protect yourself and the growing fetus, it’s critical to take precautions against dengue during pregnancy.
Is it possible to get dengue fever more than once?
Yes. Because the dengue virus has at least four strains, you can get dengue more than once.
You will usually become immune to the first strain with which you become ill and will be unable to contract it again. However, you may become ill with one of the remaining three strains. In fact, getting dengue more than once increases your chances of becoming severely ill.
