Dengue Fever Vaccination Service

• Mosquito Bites: The virus is passed to humans through the bite of an infected female mosquito—primarily Aedes aegypti and, to a lesser extent, Aedes albopictus. These mosquitoes are aggressive daytime biters, with peak biting activity typically occurring during the early morning hours and late afternoon before dusk.
• Breeding Sites in Urban Environments: Aedes mosquitoes thrive in populated areas because they lay their eggs in small, artificial containers of standing water—such as flower pots, buckets, discarded tires, blocked drains, and unsealed water storage tanks found around homes and hotels.
• Rare Transmission Routes: In very rare instances, the virus can be transmitted through infected blood transfusions, organ donations, or accidental needle-stick injuries, as well as vertically from an infected pregnant mother to her newborn during childbirth. However, mosquito bites remain the overwhelming cause of transmission worldwide.

Once bitten by an infected mosquito, symptoms typically appear after an incubation period of 4 to 10 days. Common signs include:

• Sudden onset of a high fever that can reach 40°C (104°F).

• Severe headache and intense pain behind the eyes.

• Profound muscle, bone, and joint pain, which has earned dengue the descriptive nickname "breakbone fever."

• Fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and a characteristic flat red skin rash that can appear a few days after the fever begins.

Note: While most people recover fully within a week or two, a small percentage of cases can progress to severe dengue (dengue haemorrhagic fever), which requires immediate emergency medical care due to plasma leakage, fluid accumulation, or respiratory distress.

Because there is no specific antiviral cure for dengue fever once infected, proactive defense is essential for travellers and residents in risk zones:

1. Dengue Vaccination: Getting the modern private Dengue Vaccine (Qdenga) provides a vital internal layer of active immunological defense against all four serotypes of the virus before you depart.

2. Strict Mosquito Bite Avoidance: Because Aedes mosquitoes also transmit other viral diseases like Zika and chikungunya, physical barriers and repellents are critical:

   • Apply high-strength DEET-based insect repellent to exposed skin regularly.

   • Wear light-colored, long-sleeved shirts, long trousers, and socks when outdoors.

   • Stay in accommodations with window screens and air conditioning, or sleep under insecticide-treated bed nets if rooms are not fully sealed.

Dengue is widespread in tropical and subtropical regions across the globe. High-risk areas include:

• Tropical and Subtropical Zones: Widespread across Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent, Central and South America, the Caribbean, the Pacific Islands, and parts of sub-Saharan Africa.

• Emerging European Risk Zones: There is an increasing risk of acquiring dengue during warmer months (spring through November) in parts of southern Europe, including regions of Croatia, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Madeira.

• Southern Regions of North America: Select southern parts of the United States and regions of northern Mexico.