Key facts

Transmission

Mosquito bite
Mosquitoes that spread dengue fever usually bite during the day, especially in early morning and late afternoon and evening
During pregnancy, from mother to child
Organ transplants and blood transfusions from infected donors

Symptoms

Starts with sudden fever.
Can be accompanied by severe headache, muscle and joint pain, pain behind the eyes, nausea, vomiting, swollen glands and a rash.
In some very severe cases, the disease can cause severe stomach pain, difficulty breathing and bleeding (known as “dengue haemorrhagic fever”), and even death.

Prevention

Prevention of mosquito bites by placing insect screens on windows and doors and wearing personal protection (apply repellents, wear long sleeved clothes, etc.)
Community clean-up campaigns to remove rubbish and cover water containers
Destruction of mosquito breeding sites by removing standing water, fogging, and applying larvicides
Routine vaccination
Social mobilization and behaviour change communication

Vulnerable people

Any person in the community can get dengue fever; but babies and young children are at higher risk of severe dengue fever
Dengue fever is important for pregnant women because they can pass the disease to their unborn baby

If an epidemic occurs

Increase community-based surveillance
Rapidly detect and refer serious cases to health facilities
Increase social mobilization and behaviour change communication
Promote community clean-up campaigns to remove rubbish and cover water containers
Support mass vaccination campaigns if vaccination is part of country’s dengue control programme and encourage social mobilization to support them
Promote the prevention of mosquito bites by placing insect screens on windows and doors and wearing personal protection (apply repellents, wear long sleeved clothes, etc.)
Eliminate mosquito breeding sites by removing standing water, fogging, and applying larvicides
Encourage young children and people who sleep during the day to sleep under a mosquito net (if windows and doors are not screened)

Community-based assessment - questions

Make a map of the community and mark the information you gather on the map. Record other details.

When did people start to fall sick with dengue?
How many people have fallen sick with dengue? Where?
How many people are severely ill with dengue haemorrhagic fever?
How many have died? Where?
How many people live in the affected community or area? How many children under five years of age live in the area?
Who and where are the vulnerable people?
Are children under five most affected? Or are other age groups, occupations, etc., more affected?
Do people usually cover their water containers (inside and outside)?
How many houses have insect screens on the windows and doors?
What are the community’s habits, practices and beliefs regarding use of repellents, sprays, etc.?
How do people in the community usually dispose of rubbish and solid waste?
Have the authorities established a vector control programme?
Where are the local health facilities and services? (Include traditional and community carers.)
What are the community’s habits, practices and beliefs about caring for and feeding sick people? When babies and infants are sick, do women continue to breastfeed them?
Is a social mobilization or health promotion programme in place?
Which sources of information do people use most?
Are rumours or is misinformation about the disease spreading in the community?

Volunteer actions

25. Mass vaccination campaigns 24. Routine vaccinations 01. Community-based surveillance 02. Community mapping 03. Communicating with the community 04. Community referral to health facilities 05. Volunteer protection and safety 12. Managing fever 19. Psychosocial support 36. Vector and reservoir control 37. Mosquito nets / bed nets 38. Waste disposal and clean-up campaigns 43. Social mobilization and behaviour change