Dengue Fever, DHF and DSS

Dengue is an acute mosquito transmitted viral disease which is characterized by fever, rash, headache, nausea and vomiting. It is caused by dengue viruses 1 to 4. Initial dengue infections maybe asymptomatic or may manifest as a non specific flu-like illness. Subsequent infection may lead to a fulminant syndrome with hypotension, capillary leaking and hemorrhage which is potentially life threatening. This syndrome is termed as DHF – dengue hemorrhagic fever and is now increasingly diagnosed in the Indian subcontinent. A small subset of patients with DHF will develop features of circulatory collapse, the DSS – dengue shock syndrome which has a high case fatality rate.