Dengue Fever—Diagnosis, Risk Stratification, and Treatment

Dengue fever is a common infectious disease in the tropical and subtropical zones, with more than 100 million symptomatic cases per year. Mosquitoes of the genus Aedes (Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopticus) are vectors of the disease, and their spread has led to rising case numbers around the world. Physicians in Europe, too, are increasingly being confronted by this challenge.

This review is based on the findings of a selective search in international publication databases, as well as on the WHO guideline of 2009 and the current recommendations of the Robert Koch Institute.

Dengue fever takes a mild course in more than 90% of cases. Severe dengue fever, up to and including shock and/or mucosal hemorrhages, is rare and carries a mortality of 1-5%. The disease characteristically takes a triphasic course (febrile phase, critical phase, recovery phase). It is diagnosed by the direct demonstration of the pathogen (e.g., with the reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction [RT-PCR] up to day 5 of the illness) or by serology. Patients are classified into one of three risk groups depending on their findings and comorbidities and are then treated either as outpatients or in the hospital. The treatment is symptomatic, as no treatment directed against the cause of the disease is available. The key measures are adequate volume replacement and, in patients with hemorrhage, the transfusion of blood products. Preventive steps include vaccination after a documented initial infection and the meticulous avoidance of mosquito bites.

Climate change and global mobility have led to a worldwide increase in dengue fever. The disease only rarely takes a severe course. In such cases, rapid symptomatic treatment as needed is the key to the avoidance of severe complications.