Dengue Fever: An Overview

Abstract

Dengue fever is a disease caused by a family of viruses transmitted by mosquitoes. Dengue virus (DENV), a member of the Flaviviridae family, causes the most widespread mosquito-borne viral infection in humans around the world today. Dengue can affect anyone but tends to be more severe in people with compromised immune systems. Dengue hemorrhagic fever is a more severe form of a viral illness. Symptoms include headache, fever, rash, and evidence of bleeding (hemorrhage) in the body. This form of dengue fever can be life-threatening and can progress to the most severe form of the illness, dengue shock syndrome. This chapter reviews the etiology, epidemiology, diagnosis, pathophysiology, transmissions, manifestations, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of dengue.