dengue
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Related to dengue: Chikungunya, malaria
dengue
[deng´e; Spanish, dān´ga]a painful viral disease that flourishes in tropical climates throughout the world; the virus that causes it is carried by Aedes mosquitoes. Because of the intense pain in the bones, dengue is also known as “breakbone fever” and by other names based on the necessity of keeping the neck rigid, such as “dandy” and “giraffe.” People who have had dengue are generally immunized against further attacks for 5 years, but epidemics tend to recur at five-year intervals. Occasional epidemics occur in the Gulf states of the United States.
Symptoms. The symptoms begin within a week after the bite of the infected mosquito and begin with a severe headache and pain behind the eyes. Within hours the characteristic pain in the back and joints begins. Movement is difficult, and the temperature may rise as high as 41°C (106°F). A pink rash, congested eyeballs, and a flushed face are outward signs. The disease usually has two stages of about 3 days and 2 days, separated by a period of 24 hours in which symptoms disappear and there may be hope that the attack is over. The second stage is marked by the earlier symptoms, and in addition a red rash appears on the trunk and lower extremities, often leading to peeling skin. The total course of the disease is rarely more than 6 or 7 days. Although the sufferer is exhausted and less resistant to other diseases, dengue by itself is rarely fatal. Convalescence is slow.
Treatment and Prevention. As there is no known remedy for dengue, the treatment is mainly palliative; analgesics to relieve the pain and a large intake of liquid are the basic essentials, along with maintenance of an environment conducive to rest. Aspirin should be avoided to prevent problems associated with thrombocytopenia that often occurs with the disease. The best method of preventing dengue is by controlling the mosquito, and in some areas this has been successful. In areas lacking mosquito control, protective clothing should be worn outside and mosquito netting used indoors to reduce the risk of infection.
Miller-Keane Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health, Seventh Edition. © 2003 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.
den·gue
(den'gā),A disease of many tropic and subtropic regions that can occur epidemically; caused by dengue virus, a member of the family Flaviviridae. There are four antigenic types, and they are transmitted by a mosquito of the genus Aedes (usually A. aegypti, but frequently A. albopictus). Four grades of severity are recognized: grade I, fever and constitutional symptoms; grade II, grade I with spontaneous bleeding (of skin, gums, or gastrointestinal tract); grade III, grade II with agitation and circulatory failure; grade IV, profound shock.
Synonym(s): Aden fever, bouquet fever, breakbone fever, dandy fever, date fever, dengue fever, dengue hemorrhagic fever, exanthesis arthrosia, polka fever, scarlatina rheumatica, solar fever (1)
[Sp. corruption of "dandy" fever]
Farlex Partner Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
dengue
(dĕng′gē, -gā)n.
An acute, infectious tropical disease caused by any of four related flaviviruses that are transmitted by mosquitoes, characterized by high fever, rash, headache, severe muscle and joint pain, and minor bleeding. A severe form of the disease (dengue hemorrhagic fever), characterized by bleeding from the gums and gastrointestinal tract, can lead to shock and death. Also called breakbone fever, dandy fever, dengue fever.
The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2007, 2004 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
den·gue
, dengue hemorrhagic fever , dengue fever (deng'ē, hem'ŏr-aj'ik fē'vĕr)A disease of tropic and subtropic regions, caused by dengue virus and transmitted by a mosquito of the genus Aedes. Four grades of severity are recognized: grade I, fever and constitutional symptoms; grade II, spontaneous bleeding (of skin, gums, or gastrointestinal tract); grade III, agitation and circulatory failure; and grade IV, profound shock.
[Sp. corruption of "dandy" fever]
Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions and Nursing © Farlex 2012
dengue
A tropical disease caused by a virus, probably of monkeys, and transmitted to humans by the mosquito Aedes aegypti. It is an acute disease with high fever, prostration, severe headache, aches in the bones, joints and muscles, and enlargement of lymph nodes. A second stage occurs with fever and a skin rash covering most of the body. The victim feels weak and unwell for weeks. Also known as breakbone fever.Collins Dictionary of Medicine © Robert M. Youngson 2004, 2005
Patient discussion about dengue
Q. What are the symptoms of dengue fever? Can you die from dengue fever? Can it be cured without anything like normal cough? How long till someone dies from being infected?
A. Try this site: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/dengue/
However, unless the person has recently been in South or Central America or other parts of the world where it's endemic, they're not likely to have been exposed. There is very little of it here in this country. It’s carried with mosquito’s that not to be found in the U.S as far as I know anyway…
More discussions about dengueHowever, unless the person has recently been in South or Central America or other parts of the world where it's endemic, they're not likely to have been exposed. There is very little of it here in this country. It’s carried with mosquito’s that not to be found in the U.S as far as I know anyway…
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