Key facts
- Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral infection.
- The virus responsible for causing dengue, is called dengue virus (DENV). There are four DENV serotypes, meaning that it is possible to be infected four times.
- Severe dengue is a leading cause of serious illness and death in some Asian and Latin American countries. It requires management by medical professionals.
- While many DENV infections produce only mild illness, DENV can cause an acute flu-like illness. Occasionally this develops into a potentially lethal complication, called severe dengue.
- There is no specific treatment for dengue/severe dengue. Early detection of disease progression associated with severe dengue, and access to proper medical care lowers fatality rates of severe dengue to below 1%.
- Dengue is found in tropical and sub-tropical climates worldwide, mostly in urban and semi-urban areas.
