Symptoms usually develop from 3-14 days after being exposed to the dengue virus (the incubation period); the average incubation period is around 4-7 days.
Symptoms usually begin with a sudden high temperature (fever) which can reach as high as 41ºC (105.8ºF).
Other symptoms include:
- severe headache
- eye pain; specifically pain behind the eyes
- severe aching in your bones and joints (dengue is also known as ‘breakbone fever’)
- severe muscle pain (myalgia) of the lower back, arms and legs
- abdominal pain, feeling sick and being sick
- chills (shivering)
- flat red skin rash
- facial flushing
- loss of appetite
- sore throat
- abnormal bleeding, such as nosebleeds, bleeding gums and/or blood in your urine
Symptoms usually pass within a couple of weeks, but it can take several more weeks to make a full recovery. It is common to feel very tired when recovering from this type of infection.
When to seek medical advice
You should see your GP if you develop a fever or flu-like symptoms within two weeks of returning from an area where the dengue virus is common - such as South East Asia, the Far East and the Indian Subcontinent. Alternatively, you can call NHS 111 for advice.
There is little your GP can do to speed up the course of the infection, but it is important to get your condition diagnosed in case there is a more serious cause of your symptoms.
