Dengue
Dengue is a viral illness that can range in severity from mild to life-threatening. The virus is carried by mosquitoes. Three quarters of people who are infected show no symptoms, while one in twenty of symptomatic people develop a potentially life-threatening disease called Severe Dengue.
Before traveling to a country where Dengue is endemic, visit Travel Medicine Consultations to see Dr. Julian Klapowitz and learn more about avoiding Dengue and Dengue Vaccine NYC options.
What are the symptoms of Dengue?
Symptoms of Dengue usually start 5 to 7 days after infection.
Dengue can resemble the flu (influenza). Headaches, often behind the eyes, can be severe. A rash may develop and, unlike the flu, petechiae (tiny spots of bleeding) or ecchymoses (bruises) can appear on the skin, along with bleeding of the gums, nose, or in the urine. This is because Dengue can affect the platelets in your blood that help the blood to clot. The febrile stage can last up to a week and usually resolves.
Rather than recover, some patients may develop warning signs of Severe Dengue, such as severe abdominal pain, frequent vomiting, and mild fluid retention. This can progress to severe small blood vessel leakage causing large amounts of fluid to accumulate in the legs, arms, and belly. Blood pressure can drop, bleeding can increase and, if a patient does not get intravenous fluids and medications to support blood pressure, organ failure or even death can result.
What is the treatment for Dengue?
There is no specific treatment for dengue. Mild to moderate symptoms can be treated similarly to flu symptoms, except for AVOIDING NSAIDs (Motrin, Advil, Naprosyn, Ibuprofen, other) and ASPIRIN, because these medications interfere with platelets and can increase bleeding risk with Dengue. For Severe Dengue, or for severe symptoms that can not be safely cared for at home, hospitalization and intravenous fluid may be necessary.
Places where Dengue is common:
Dengue is common in more than 100 countries across the globe, located in South and Central America, Southeast Asia, and Africa. CDC Map of Countries with Dengue.
Dengue prevention:
see: Mosquito avoidance!
Dengue Vaccination in NYC:
In the US, Dengvaxia is the only currently available Dengue vaccine. It is indicated ONLY for children ages 9 – 16 who live in a Dengue-endemic country and have proof of prior Dengue infection. This is because people who received this vaccination who had never had Dengue previously were less likely to get dengue. However, when they did become infected, patients were more likely to have severe disease!!
A new Dengue vaccine for a wider range of travelers is under study currently (2024). Travel Medicine Consultations should have this new Dengue Vaccine in the NYC office once it is approved for use (not approved when this page was written – May 4th, 2024).