Dengue, << DEHNG gay, >> also called breakbone fever, is a disease that causes fever, headaches and eye aches, and pain in the muscles and joints. It may also cause a runny nose, sore throat, and skin rash. Dengue is caused by four distinct viruses that are carried by mosquitoes. Symptoms appear three to six days after a disease-bearing mosquito bites the victim. The rash breaks out on the fifth day of the illness. The fever subsides and then usually rises again.
Dengue is found in the tropics and subtropics. It is seldom fatal but can cause a fatal illness—called dengue hemorrhagic fever—chiefly in children. In severe cases, patients experience shock syndrome (very low blood pressure and a weak pulse). Dengue hemorrhagic fever with shock syndrome is widespread in Southeast Asia. The illness occurs primarily in children who have had a previous dengue infection.
