Dengue fever: a resurgent risk for the international traveler

The incidence of dengue fever, an acute febrile illness transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, is on the rise. High fever, severe headache, skin rash and a variety of constitutional symptoms are hallmarks of classic dengue fever. Dengue hemorrhagic fever, a severe manifestation associated with secondary infection, most often occurs in children. Treatment of classic dengue fever is supportive, whereas urgent rehydration therapy is often required in more severe forms. Community-based and personal strategies for avoiding the mosquito vector represent the best methods of prevention, although vaccine development programs are under way.