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Dengue fever

Low urgency
Common-

Disease caused by the Dengue virus and transmitted by mosquito bites. Common in tropical and subtropical regions, mainly in rainy seasons.

Patients infected for the first time usually have no symptoms. When it does manifest itself, it is in the form of a viral illness with fever, headache, joint and muscle pain in the body. Due to an alteration in platelets, nosebleeds, bleeding from the gums and/or in the urine may occur. It is sometimes accompanied by a punctate skin rash (petechiae), which usually appears on the lower limbs and then spreads to the whole body.

Diagnosis is clinical by questioning, physical examination and blood tests showing a decrease in platelet count.

There is no specific treatment. Aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs should be avoided so as not to aggravate possible bleeding. Severe forms require hospitalisation for intravenous treatment and monitoring.

Bibliographic references
  1. Alan L Rothman. Pathogenesis of dengue virus infection. UpToDate May 12, 2016.
  2. Stephen J Thomas, Alan L Rothman, Anon Srikiatkhachorn, Siripen Kalayanarooj. Prevention and treatment of dengue virus infection. UpToDate Sep 26, 2016.
  3. Alan L Rothman, Anon Srikiatkhachorn, Siripen Kalayanarooj. Clinical manifestations and diagnosis of dengue virus infection. UpToDate Apr 04, 2016.
  4. Bhatt S, Gething PW, Brady OJ, et al. The global distribution and burden of dengue. Nature 2013; 496:504.
  5. Trang NT, Long NP, Hue TT, et al. Association between nutritional status and dengue infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Infect Dis 2016; 16:172.
  6. Montoya M, Gresh L, Mercado JC, et al. Symptomatic versus inapparent outcome in repeat dengue virus infections is influenced by the time interval between infections and study year. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2013; 7:e2357.
  7. A Trilla. Viriasis transmitidas por artrópodos y roedores: infecciones por arbovirus y arenavirus. Farreras Rozman. Medicina Interna. Volumen 2. 12º edición. 2446:2449.
  8. Gazmend Krasniqi, Ángel Blanco Bravo. Fiebre al regreso del trópico en urgencias. Manual de Protocolos y Actuación en Urgencias. 3ª edición (2010). 789.
Author
Dr. Oscar Garcia-Esquirol
Copyright
© TeckelMedical 2026

Symptoms

    Headache behind the eyes

    Skin rash

    Widespread muscle aches

    Bone pain

    High fever of 40ºC or above

Symptoms to watch out for

Pass less water than a 500ml soft drink bottle in 24 hours.
Difficulty breathing
Mental confusion
Pee with blood
Dehydration signs: more fatigued than usual, dizziness, dry mouth and tongue.

Self-care

Take over-the-counter analgesics.
Avoid taking over-the-counter medications like non-steroidal anti-inflammatories.
Maintain a balanced diet: increase fruit, vegetable, and white meat consumption and reduce the intake of fatty meals and fritters.
Maintain hydration of 2 litres per day.
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