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Dengue Fever [ Aedes albopictus ] Aedes albopictus (Acknowledgement: Pest Control Advisory Section, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department) What is Dengue fever? Dengue Fever is an acute viral disease characterized by sudden onset of fever for 3-5 days, with intense headache, joint and muscle pain, pain behind the eyes, nausea, gastrointestinal disturbances and rash. Minor bleeding, such as gum and nose bleeding, may occur at any time during the febrile phase. Children usually have a milder disease than adults. The incubation period is 3 to 14 days. Recovery may be followed by prolonged fatigue and depression. Occasionally, the disease may progress to Dengue Heamorrhagic Fever (DHF) with bleeding and shock, leading to death. Travellers to tropical countries, especially in Southeast Asia and Latin America, may be at risk of dengue infection. Epidemics usually occur during and shortly after the rainy season. How does it spread? Dengue virus is transmitted to human by mosquitoes, especially Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. This is a day-biting species with increased biting activities for 2 hours after sunrise and several hours before sunset. Patients are usually infective for mosquitoes from shortly before to the end of the febrile period, an average of about 6-7 days. It cannot be directly transmitted from person to person. How can you prevent it? At present, there is no effective vaccine for dengue, so travellers must rely on preventing mosquito bites to combat infection (especially during their high biting activity time). The personal protection measures against mosquito bites are as follows: Wear long-sleeved shirts and trousers; Rest in air-conditioned or well-screened rooms; Use aerosol insecticide indoor and use bednets if sleeping areas are not air-conditioned or screened. Use insect repellents containing DEET (for children keep DEET concentration below 20%) on exposed skin; If travelling in endemic rural areas, carry a portable bed-net and apply permethrin on it as well as to clothes. How is it treated? Anyone returning from travel to a dengue-infected area and then falling sick within one month, especially with bleeding signs, should seek medical assistance immediately. High fever should be treated by sponging and the appropriate use of paracetamol. Do not take aspirin because they can lead to bleeding and cause stomach irritation. There is no specific treatment available for treating DHF. Supportive measures have to be provided in hospital. [Dengue,2007] Dengue fever reporting in different areas of the world, 2007 Countries/Areas 07 Reported number 08 Reported number 08 Update Source Asia Bangladesh     　 Bhutan     　 Cambodia 40,000 (407)   13 Jan ProMED China Mainland 544 26 11 Aug P.R. China MoH Hong Kong 58** 27** 29 Aug HKSAR DH Macau 14 2** 27 May Macao Health Bureau Taiwan 3,553 693 27 Aug Taiwan CDC India   150*(2) 26 Aug ProMED Indonesia 160,000(1,101) 7,026*(41) 7 Jul ProMED Japan 89 16** 28 Apr Taiwan CDC Lao   1,900(18) 11 Aug ProMED Malaysia 31,279(67) 26,829 (62) 5 Aug Malaysia MoH Maldives 1,667 581(1) 18 Jun ProMED Myanmar 11,577(98)     ProMED Nepal       ProMED Pakistan 1,527*(11) 287* 26 Aug ProMED Philippines 24,689(283) 9,675*(113) 25 Jun Taiwan CDC Saudi Arabia 342 16 30 Jan ProMED Singapore 8,826(3) 4,016 25 Aug Singapore MoH Sri Lanka 47 34(3) 18 Feb ProMED Thailand 62,999 (90) 47,577(62) 22 Aug Taiwan CDC Timor-Leste     　 Vietnam 80,000(68) 36,900(33) 1 Sep ProMED Yemen   2,100(5) 21 Jul ProMED North America Mexico 40,599(10) 16,285 2 Jun PAHO USA 488   23 Jan PAHO South America Argentina 173 28 14 May PAHO Bolivia 6,677 (1) 730(0) 14 May PAHO Brazil 561,495 (225) 472,997*(199) 2 Jun PAHO Colombia 42,536 (19) 15,666(5) 7 Aug PAHO Ecuador 10,753(5) 1,894 14 May PAHO French Guiana 661 191 8 Jul PAHO Paraguay 28,182 (17) 1,953 14 May PAHO Peru 6,907 (2) 9,529(1) 18 Aug ProMED Venezuela 82,000(42) 27,049 7 Jul ProMED Central America and Caribbean Sea Barbados 255 1 7 Aug PAHO Costa Rica 26,440(8) 4,523 7 Aug PAHO Dominican Republic 9,349 (46) 1,074(6) 7 Aug PAHO El Salvador 12,360 3,524 7 Aug PAHO Guatemala 5,886 (4) 963 8 Jul PAHO Honduras 33,508(8) 6,637 7 Aug PAHO Nicaragua 1,564 (11) 147(1) 7 Aug PAHO Panama 3,402 269 7 Aug PAHO Puerto Rica 11,012(9) 1,559(2) 7 Aug PAHO Trinidad and Tobago 31 120(2) 26 Aug ProMED Guadeloupe 19,200(3) 160 8 Jul PAHO Martinique 5,082(4) 485 8 Jul PAHO Jamaica 1,443(18) 207 8 Jul PAHO Oceania Australia 322 292 2 Sep Australia MoH Palau   31 1 Sep ProMED Cook Islands 700     ProMED Micronesia 6*     ProMED Figures in bracket: reported death numbers. ** Imported cases * Cases in parts of the country Abbreviations: ADSNet Association of South East Asian Nations Infectious Diseases Outbreak Surveillance Network CDC Centre for Disease Control DoH Department of Health MoH Ministry of Health PAHO Pan American Health Organisation ProMED   Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases WHO World Health Organization Disclaimer The information provided by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region ("the Government") on this website is for reference only. Whilst the Government endeavors to ensure the accuracy of the information on this site, no expressed or implied warranty is given by the Government as to the accuracy of the information. Updating in this web site is carried out as soon as new information is available. However, there is no warranty or responsibility of any kind on providing accurate information and data at a particular point of time. The Government shall not be liable for any claim, loss or damage incurred in relation to or as a result of the use of the information on the website.

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Last revision date: 30 August 2006