Dengue Fever

With an estimated nearly 400 million dengue fever infections and about 100 million illnesses each year, preventing the mosquito bites that cause this painful disease is important to human health. Mosquito-borne illnesses are spreading through more parts of the world as different mosquito species migrate to new places. Although dengue fever is most commonly found in tropical parts of the world, the area of potential infection is changing.

The greatest risk of mosquito-borne dengue fever currently exists in Southeast Asia, parts of China, some Caribbean islands, some Pacific islands, Africa, parts of North America, parts of Central America and parts of South America. Dengue fever does occur natively in the United States mainland, although it is rare.

People bitten by an Aedes species of mosquito carrying the dengue virus become infected with dengue fever. Symptoms of a dengue fever illness include pain behind the eyes, in the joints and in muscles. Headaches and high fevers are common symptoms too. Some people infected with dengue fever may experience vomiting, nausea, rashes and bleeding from the gums or nose. Symptoms typically appear four to six days after the Aedes mosquito bites a person, and the pain may last for up to 10 days.

Those who’ve had dengue fever in the past or who have a weakened immune system may suffer serious symptoms, which could include bleeding, damage to lymph nodes and enlargement of the liver. This serious version of the illness can lead to massive bleeding and shock, which is called dengue hemorrhagic fever. Eventually, these advanced symptoms can lead to death, called dengue shock syndrome.

To protect yourself from mosquito-borne illnesses such as dengue fever, wear long clothing to protect from bites. Remove areas of standing water in your backyard, which is where mosquitos breed. Wear insect repellant whenever you’ll be in areas where mosquitos could be present.

Additionally, use our MosquitoNix® products to spray for ticks, mosquitos and other flying insects. We offer a variety of portable products that are perfect for on-the-go insect control. Our portable solutions for mosquito control work well in areas such as patios, backyards and camping sites.

For more information please visit: http://www.cdc.gov/dengue/