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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffSigns and symptoms of dengue fever vary, depending on the form and severity of the disease.
Dengue fever
With the mild form of the disease, you may experience some or all of these signs and symptoms:
- High fever, up to 105 F (40.6 C)
- A rash over most of your body, which may subside after a couple of days and then reappear
- Severe headache, backache or both
- Pain behind your eyes
- Severe joint and muscle pain
- Nausea and vomiting
Sign and symptoms usually begin about four to seven days after being bitten by a mosquito carrying a dengue virus. Mild dengue fever rarely causes death, and your symptoms will usually subside within a week after starting.
Dengue hemorrhagic fever
More-severe forms of the disease usually begin the same way as the mild form (dengue fever) then become worse after several days.
Dengue hemorrhagic fever — a more severe form of the disease than initial dengue fever — can cause signs and symptoms of dengue fever plus:
- Significant damage to your blood and lymph vessels
- A decrease in the number of blood cells that help your blood clot (platelets)
- Bleeding from the nose and mouth
- Bleeding under the skin, which gives the appearance of bruising
- Death
Dengue shock syndrome — Dengue shock syndrome — the most severe form of the disease — may cause signs and symptoms of mild dengue fever plus:
- Severe abdominal pain
- Frequent vomiting
- Disorientation
- Fluid (plasma) leakage from blood vessels
- Heavy bleeding
- A sudden drop in blood pressure (shock)
- Death
Severe signs and symptoms may appear after your fever has improved. In a small number of cases, people with a severe form of the disease die of it. Modern supportive hospital care decreases this risk.
When to see a doctor
If you have any signs or symptoms of dengue fever, see your doctor. If you've recently traveled to a region in which the disease is known to occur, be sure to inform your doctor.
- Dengue fever overview. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/DengueFever/Understanding/overview.htm. Accessed Aug. 12, 2009.
- Rothman AL. Epidemiology of dengue virus infections. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 12, 2009.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, et al. Dengue hemorrhagic fever - U.S.-Mexico border, 2005. MMWR. 2007;56:31. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5631a1.htm. Accessed Aug. 12, 2009.
- Rothman AL. Clinical presentation and diagnosis of dengue virus infections. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 12, 2009.
- Rothman AL. Prevention and treatment of dengue virus infection. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 12, 2009.
- Dengue and dengue haemorrhagic fever. World Health Organization. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs117/en/print.html. Accessed Aug. 12, 2009.
- Zielinski-Gutierrez E, et al. Protection against mosquitoes, ticks, and other insects and arthropods. In: Brunette GW, et al. CDC Health Information for International Travel 2010. Atlanta, Ga.: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service; 2009. http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2010/chapter-2/protection-against-mosquitoes-ticks-insects-arthropods.aspx. Accessed Aug. 17, 2009.
- West Nile virus questions and answers: Insect repellent use and safety. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/qa/insect_repellent.htm. Accessed Aug. 17, 2009.
- Tsai T, et al. Flaviviruses (yellow fever, dengue, dengue hemorrhagic fever, Japanese encephalitis, West Nile encephalitis, St. Louis encephalitis, tick-borne encephalitis). In: Mandell GL, et al. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone; 2005. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/154687162-3/0/1259/1219.html?tocnode=51380756&fromURL=1219.html#4-u1.0-B0-443-06643-4..50152-5_5152. Accessed Aug. 17, 2009.
