- Dengue fever is found in tropical countries such as Bangladesh, Brazil, Guyana, Indonesia, India, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, Venezuela and Vietnam. It is found in places where malaria is also common, but unlike malaria can be found just as often in urban as in rural areas.
- Dengue symptoms include severe headaches, muscle pains (the joint pains associated with dengue have given it the nickname "breakbone" fever), red skin rashes and high fever. Abdominal problems can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Mild cases are frequently misdiagnosed as influenza.
- Dengue is caused by a virus that is transmitted most often by the day-feeding mosquito breed Aedes aegypti. This mosquito also transmits yellow fever. As a mosquito-borne illness, epidemics of Dengue can be influenced by flooding. Flooding in Dengue-infested areas will naturally produce large pools of stagnant water, which in turn can result in the spread of and an increase in numbers of the Aedes aegypti mosquito.
- Dengue is caused by a virus that is transmitted most often by the day-feeding mosquito breed Aedes aegypti. This mosquito also transmits yellow fever.
- One of the worst things about dengue is that there is no vaccine available. The only preventative measures revolve around mosquito control. On a health policy level, education about mosquito breeding and insecticide use are common dengue prevention measures. This becomes a special consideration after flooding in Dengue-prone regions, for the aforementioned reasons. On a personal level, the use of insect repellent and mosquito netting, to prevent bites and therefore transmission, are also effective in reducing the odds of infection.
