About Dengue: What You Need to Know
Dengue viruses are spread to people through the bite of an infected Aedes species (Ae. aegypti or Ae. albopictus) mosquito. These mosquitoes also spread Zika, chikungunya, and other viruses.
Almost half of the world’s population, about 4 billion people, live in areas with a risk of dengue. Dengue is often a leading cause of illness in areas with risk.
Each year, up to 400 million people get infected with dengue. Approximately 100 million people get sick from infection, and 40,000 die from severe dengue.
Dengue is caused by one of any of four related viruses: Dengue virus 1, 2, 3, and 4. For this reason, a person can be infected with a dengue virus as many as four times in his or her lifetime.
Prevention – What We Know
- Prevent dengue by avoiding mosquito bites.
- All four dengue viruses are spread primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes species (Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus) mosquito. These mosquitoes also spread chikungunya and Zika viruses.
- The mosquitoes that spread dengue are found in most tropical and subtropical regions of the world, including many parts of the United States.
- Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus bite during the day and night.
- A dengue vaccine is now recommended for U.S. territories of American Samoa, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and freely associated states, including the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau.
