Dengue encephalitis: why we need to identify this entity in a dengue-prone region

Classical dengue fever is commonly seen in children and young adults. It commonly presents with fever, severe headache, body ache and retro-orbital pain. Unlike other arboviral infections, dengue virus does not usually cause neurological manifestations. We report a 13-year-old boy with dengue encephalitis. Dengue encephalitis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute viral encephalitis especially in countries like India where dengue has assumed epidemic proportions. These undiagnosed cases are at risk of developing complications of dengue haemorrhagic fever.