Ready to explore? Learn more about avoiding dengue fever while travelling
Before heading off on your travels, it’s important to be prepared. We’ll be taking you through dengue fever, how to help avoid it and how to help you feel better, if you do get it.
What is dengue fever?
Dengue fever, which is also known as dengue, is an infection that’s spread by mosquitoes. It’s usually mild and it can pass within a week without causing problems, but in some cases, it can be serious and potentially life threatening.
How can you catch dengue fever?
It’s important to know that dengue fever can’t be spread from person to person. You can catch dengue fever from infected mosquitoes. They normally bite during the day. This can be from early morning to the early evening before dusk. The infected mosquitoes can also be found near still water in areas like wells, old car tyres and water storage tanks.
There are four types of dengue virus which can cause dengue fever. You can get it more than once. If you’ve had it before, you’ll only be immune to the virus you had – not all four of the viruses.
Am I at risk of dengue fever?
Mosquitoes in the UK don’t spread dengue virus, but it can be found in mosquitoes in:
• The Caribbean
• Southeast Asia
• South and Central America
• Parts of Africa
• The Pacific Islands
• Some southern areas of North America
• The Indian subcontinent
• Some parts of Southern Europe during certain times of the year (spring to November)
People who are at higher risk of dengue fever include:
• Very young children
• People over the age of 65
• People who are pregnant
• People who have a weakened immune system
Symptoms of dengue fever
Dengue infections don’t always cause symptoms, or symptoms may be mild. However, if you have dengue fever, you may experience the following symptoms:
• Having a high temperature (fever)
• Having pain behind the eyes
• Being sick or feeling sick
• Having a widespread blotchy rash made up of flat or slightly raised spots
• Having a loss of appetite
• Tummy pain
• Swollen glands
If you have dengue fever symptoms, they will usually develop quickly and suddenly. This is normally about four to 10 days after you become infected.
These symptoms normally pass after a week, but you might feel unwell or tired for several weeks afterwards. In some rare cases, you can get severe dengue fever after your symptoms.
If you’re feeling unwell after travelling to a country with dengue fever, speak to your GP urgently or call NHS 111 for advice.
Severe dengue fever
Symptoms of severe dengue fever include:
• Severe tummy pain
• Being sick repeatedly and vomiting blood
• Bleeding under the skin or bleeding gums
• Having difficulties breathing or breathing fast
• Having cold, clammy skin
• Having a fast but weak pulse
• Having a swollen tummy
• A loss of consciousness or feeling drowsy
Severe dengue fever needs treatment in hospital as quickly as possible, to stop it from becoming very serious.
If you have any symptoms of severe dengue fever, you need to call 999 immediately or go to A&E. Go to a hospital as soon as possible if you get severe dengue symptoms while you’re travelling.
Treating dengue fever
There isn’t a cure or specific treatment for dengue fever. You can only manage your symptoms and try to relieve your symptoms until the infection passes. This can normally be done at home by:
• Getting plenty of rest
• Staying hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids. If you’re travelling in a country where the water isn’t safe to drink, make sure to only drink bottled water from a bottle that was sealed properly
• Taking paracetamol if it’s suitable for you. It’s important to avoid taking anti-inflammatory medicines such as aspirin or ibuprofen. These can increase the risk of bleeding in people with dengue fever
If you feel unwell after visiting an area where dengue virus is found, you should call NHS 111 or speak to your GP urgently. It’s important to tell the nurse or doctor where you’ve been travelling.
If you develop any symptoms while you’re travelling or you’re living in an area where dengue fever is found, you should get medical advice quickly from a doctor or hospital.
There’s no specific treatment for dengue, but it’s important to be diagnosed properly to make sure there isn’t another cause of your symptoms. Your doctor might ask for a blood test to confirm if you do have dengue fever. Most mild cases of dengue fever can be treated at home, however severe cases may require a hospital stay until you feel better.
Avoiding dengue fever
While there is a dengue fever vaccination licenced for use in the UK, the vaccination is currently only recommended for some travellers who’ve had dengue fever in the past.
To reduce your risk of getting dengue fever, there are some preventative measures that you can take to help protect yourself from being bitten by mosquitos. These include:
• Using an insect repellent – make sure it’s 50% DEET-based. If your child is younger than two months, you should use an alternative to DEET. If you’re travelling with a baby who’s under two months old, you should also get travel advice from your doctor or a pharmacist. Always use biocides safely and read the label and product information before use
• Wearing long-sleeved clothes and trousers that cover your arms and legs, especially during the day
• Closing the windows and doors when you can (if you can’t, use blinds or screens)
• Sleeping under a mosquito net which has been treated with insecticide (this includes naps during the day)
• Choosing to wear shoes instead of sandals to avoid being bitten
It’s a good idea to speak to a GP, pharmacist, practice nurse or travel clinic before travelling to get advice on what you can do to help avoid dengue fever and other travel illnesses.
You can also visit our travel health hub for more advice, products and services for travel.
