Types of Dengue Fever

The different types of dengue fever are classified according to the symptoms they exhibit. The following article will cover an overview related to the dengue fever types and help you understand the different signs associated with each of the types.

One of the most dangerous types of fever is the dengue fever. This is a life threatening condition that is caused by infection of the dengue virus. The virus spreads through the bite of mosquitoes of the Aedes genus. The most common carrier of dengue virus is the mosquito Aedes aegypti. There are four different types of dengue virus. When one is infected with a particular type of dengue virus, the person develops life long immunity against that particular virus. However, there is no vaccine to prevent dengue fever. There are different types of dengue fever that develop after infection with the virus. These dengue fever types exhibit different symptoms. Let us have a look at these dengue fever types in the following paragraphs.

How Many Types of Dengue Fever Are There?

Dengue fever is caused by four different types of viruses. These viruses include Dengue 1, Dengue 2, Dengue 3 and Dengue 4. When a person is infected with dengue, it results in bleeding from the gums, nose as well as skin. A person can develop different types of dengue fever. When a person suffers from bleeding, he is said to be suffering from dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF). When a person goes into shock, he is said to be suffering from dengue shock syndrome (DSS). If a person is infected with one type of virus and develops infection from a second type of virus, he is said to be suffering from dengue hemorrhagic fever with severe shock. Thus, there are basically 3 types of dengue fever that a patient can develop.

Characteristics of Dengue Fever Types

When a person develops sudden high fever of about 103 to 105°F along with severe headache, pain behind eyes, skin rash, nausea and vomiting, dengue is suspected. The fever tends to last for 5 to 7 days and comes back after 3 to 4 days. The characteristics of dengue fever make it easier to distinguish it from other fevers. These characteristics include the symptoms mentioned earlier as well as muscle and joint pains. The muscle and joint pain give rise to the term breakbone fever, for this tropical disease. Let us have a look at each of the dengue fever types and know more about the symptoms associated with it.

☛ Classical Dengue Fever Also called as simple dengue fever, it does not lead to any complications. The dengue fever symptoms are exhibited after 5 to 6 days of infection. The rash tends to get healed completely, but there may be a recurring episode of the rash in some cases. The symptoms of this type of dengue fever are as follows –

• Sudden onset of high fever (up to 105°F) with severe chills
• Severe headache (especially in the forehead)
• Severe muscle and joint pain
• Pain behind the eyeballs (especially after eyeball movement or pressing of the eye)
• Extreme weakness in the body
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea
• Change of taste in mouth
• Abdominal pain
• Pain in throat
• Typical rash on skin that has a mild flushing appearance, along with mottling or tiny eruptions on the face, neck, chest, limbs and back

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Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF)

The dengue hemorrhagic fever is the fatal dengue fever type. It leads to complications in the vascular system. These complications cause excessive bleeding from various parts of the body. Symptoms of DHF are as follows –

• Fever of about 105°F
• Bleeding from the nose, gums, in vomit, blood in stools, bleeding spots on skin causing bluish black spots
• Positive tourniquet test
• Acute joint pain
• Nausea and vomiting
• Rash on chest and limbs
• Blood vessels and lymphatic vessels malfunctioning

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Dengue Shock Fever

The dengue shock fever is commonly seen in children and teenagers. It is one of the most fatal types of dengue fever. The symptoms include –

• High fever up to 104 to 105°F
• Pain behind the eyes
• Severe headache
• Severe joint pain
• Nausea and vomiting
• Patient appears very restless
• Skin is clammy and cold, even in case of high fever
• Patient loses consciousness
• Internal bleeding from blood vessels
• Low blood pressure leading to shock

Dengue Fever Treatment

There is no specific treatment for dengue fever. The treatment involves management of the symptoms exhibited. This includes administration of intravenous fluids or oral rehydration therapy. The patient is given pain killers and asked to take plenty of rest. In case of severe complications, the patient is admitted to the hospital. After about a few weeks, most patients recover completely without suffering from any complications. Medical attention is very important to prevent the disease from turning into a life threatening complication.

These were the three types of dengue fever. Simple dengue fever does not lead to any complications and is not considered to be a life threatening infection. But, if it develops into a hemorrhagic fever or the patient goes into a shock, it could turn fatal. If one develops sudden high fever, with headache, chills, joint pain and other symptoms mentioned above, seek medical attention immediately.