What is dengue fever?
Dengue fever , also called dengue, is a potentially serious disease caused by a virus. There are four types of dengue viruses that can cause illness in humans. Dengue viruses are transmitted between humans by the bite of an infected mosquito.
Dengue fever is rare in the United States but common and a serious public health threat in warm subtropical and tropical areas of the world. These include areas of Central and South America, Africa, Southeast Asia, China, India, the Middle East, Australia, the Caribbean, and the South and Central Pacific.
Dengue fever is most common in urban areas in which outbreaks occur frequently during the rainy season when mosquitoes breed heavily in standing water. In some areas of Asia, complications of the disease are a leading cause of serious illness and death in children .
Most people can recover from dengue fever, but in some cases dengue fever can lead to serious complications, including hemorrhage and shock.
