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Dengue fever

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Definition:

Dengue fever is a virus-based disease spread by mosquitoes.

See also: Dengue hemorrhagic fever

Alternative Names:

O'nyong-nyong fever; Dengue-like disease; Breakbone fever

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Dengue fever is caused by several related viruses (four different arboviruses). It is spread by the bite of mosquitoes, most commonly the mosquito Aedes aegypti , which found in tropic and subtropic regions. This includes parts of:

• Southeast Asia
• Indonesian archipelago into northeastern Australia
• Sub-Saharan Africa
• South and Central America

Dengue fever is being seen more in world travelers. It is generally lasts a week or more. Although uncomfortable, it is not deadly. The proper diagnosis depend on whether you tell your doctor about any visits to areas of the world where dengue fever is known to occur.

Dengue fever should not be confused with Dengue hemorrhagic fever, which is a separate disease and frequently deadly.

• Review Date: 6/20/2007
• Reviewed By: Monica Gandhi MD, MPH, Assistant Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases,UCSF, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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