What is Dengue?

Dengue is a viral infection spread by mosquitoes. A more serious version of the disease, called dengue hemorrhagic fever, causes bleeding and can be deadly. When a mosquito bites an infected person, it picks up the virus and gives it to the next person it bites.

Dengue viruses are spread to people through the bite of an infected Aedes species (Ae. aegypti or Ae. albopictus) mosquito. Dengue is common in more than 100 countries around the world. Forty percent of the world’s population, about 3 billion people, live in areas with a risk of dengue. Dengue is often a leading cause of illness in areas with risk.