Dengue fever is caused by one of the four dengue viruses. It is spread by a certain type of mosquito. One interesting thing about the dengue viruses is that once you’re infected with one of them, you will become immune to that virus for the rest of your life. You will remain vulnerable to the other three, but you will not be able to get infected by the one that you’ve already suffered through.
People living or traveling through tropical areas are most likely to get dengue fever. The fever is quite common worldwide, with about 400 million cases reported on a yearly basis. The problem doesn’t usually occur in the United States, but infection is becoming more common in the southern regions of Texas. You can only get this disease from a mosquito that is carrying the virus. You won’t be able to get it from another person, so there is no worry about caring for someone who has dengue fever.
If you’re worried that you or someone that you care about is developing dengue fever, the first thing that you should do is observe the symptoms (unless they’re already quite serious, in which case you should get to a hospital). Dengue fever symptoms don’t usually show up for anywhere from 4 to 7 days after being bitten, so be wary even if you have no symptoms. The most common symptoms that occur are as follows. Many of these symptoms are quite similar to those of the common flu and can last for around ten days. Other symptoms are more serious and uncomfortable than common flu symptoms.
Symptom #1: Fever
As indicated by the name, dengue fever is often accompanied by a fever. However, these fevers can actually grow to be a lot more intense than common fevers attributed to the regular flu. Most normal flus and colds don’t cause a fever of more than 101 degrees.
The fever of someone experiencing dengue fever can reach up to 106 degrees. This is very high and will feel quite uncomfortable. Fevers generally occur when the body is attempting to rid itself of a bacteria or another pathogen. By raising the body’s temperature, the immune system makes it easier to attack and destroy invaders.
