Dengue Fever

Causes:
Caused by dengue virus (Flaviviridae, Arbovirus). 4 serotypes of this virus have been reported.
Characteristics of dengue virus: Icosahedral, envelope, internal matrix protein, 1 glycoprotein spike, single-stranded RNA.
It lives only in humans.
Transmitted by mosquito bite (Aedes aegypti mosquito, also Aedes albopictus and Aedes polynesiensis mosquitoes), typically during daytime.

Pathogenesis:
Incubation period 5-8 days (range 3-15 days)
It usually manifests as dengue hemorrhagic fever.
Caused by cross-reacting antibody at second infection and/or virulent virus and leakage of plasma through endothelial gaps.

Risk factors:
Mosquito season, travel to tropics and urban epidemics.
Endemic in Africa, Central and South America, Caribbean and southeast Asia.