Dengue virus infection is the
most common mosquito-borne infection worldwide–even surpassing malaria. This is
a member of the flaviviridae. Other members of the flaviviridae family include:
yellow fever, West Nile virus, St. Louis and Japanese encephalitis.
Symptoms include
fever, headache, muscle and joint pains, and a characteristic skin rash that is
similar to measles. In a small proportion of cases the disease develops into
the life-threatening dengue hemorrhagic fever, resulting in bleeding, low
levels of blood platelets and blood plasma leakage, or into dengue shock
syndrome, where dangerously low blood pressure occurs.
