Dengue (also known as breakbone fever) is an infectious disease caused by a virus. This virus is found in tropical and subtropical regions. It is transmitted by mosquitoes that bite during the day.
Dengue is also known as breakbone fever, because the disease can cause symptoms such as fever and joint pain. It is seen in people who visited countries where the dengue virus is present. Dengue is also common among people living in the Caribbean Netherlands.
What are the symptoms of dengue?
Most people with a dengue virus infection do not have any symptoms. People with a less severe case of dengue may have several of these symptoms in combination:
- sudden fever (up to 41°C) with chills
- headache, especially behind the eyes
- muscle pain and joint pain
- feeling ill
- skin rash
- nausea
- vomiting
- coughing
- sore throat
Most people with non-severe dengue virus infections recover within a few days or a week. A small percentage of patients develop severe dengue 2 to 5 days after becoming ill. The symptoms of severe dengue can include:
- dark-red, bumpy rash
- nosebleeds
- bleeding gums
- shock or fainting
Without treatment, severe dengue can be life-threatening. People who have had dengue before are more likely to develop severe dengue.
Who can become very ill from dengue?
Some people can become very ill from dengue:
- young children
- people who have chronic illnesses, such as diabetes and sickle-cell anaemia
- older people (over 65)
- pregnant people
- people who have had dengue before
How does dengue spread?
The dengue virus is transmitted through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito. This mainly involves yellow fever mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti) and Asian tiger mosquitoes (Aedes albopictus). These mosquitoes can also transmit viruses that cause other diseases, such as chikungunya and Zika. People cannot generally infect each other with dengue. Mosquitoes transmit the virus from one human to another.
The time between the infected mosquito bite and illness is between 3 and 14 days. Usually, it is 4 to 7 days. People can get dengue more than once.
How can I prevent dengue?
The main way to protect against dengue is by making it harder for mosquitoes to bite you. Aedes mosquitoes are most active in early morning and late afternoon. Wearing clothes that cover your skin and applying a mosquito repellent containing DEET lowers the risk of mosquito bites. This helps prevent infection. Sleeping under a mosquito net treated with mosquito repellent also lowers the risk of mosquito bites.
There are vaccines against dengue. If you are planning a trip to a country where dengue is present, ask your doctor or GP or a travel vaccination centre if vaccination is advisable for you. For more information, go to the website of the National Travel Safety Advice Coordination Centre (in Dutch).
Is there any treatment for dengue?
There is no medication to treat dengue. Painkillers like paracetamol can help control the pain. Do not take painkillers like aspirin or NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen, naproxen and diclofenac. They may increase the risk of bleeding. People with severe dengue always have to go to hospital for treatment.
How common is dengue?
Dengue is mainly seen in tropical and subtropical regions, including Central and South America, Southeast Asia, Africa and the Caribbean. There has been a limited increase in cases in Mediterranean countries, including Spain, Italy and France.
In the European Netherlands, the only known cases of dengue were in travellers who had visited areas where the virus was found. Several dozen cases of dengue are reported every year in the Caribbean Netherlands (the islands of Aruba, Curaçao, Bonaire, St Maarten, Saba and St Eustatius). Major outbreaks sometimes occur, such as in 2023–2024.
An estimated 90 million people have symptomatic dengue every year. For more information about where and how often dengue is found, see the website of the World Health Organization (WHO).