Dengue and Dengue haemorrhagic fever can include flu-like symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pains, and a rash but these can be mild or severe and vary according to the age and health of the patient. While the illness affects infants, young children and adults, it seldom causes death but the potentially deadly complication, Dengue haemorrhagic fever can be fatal.
Dengue haemorrhagic fever is characterized by high fever, often with enlargement of the liver, and in severe cases circulatory failure and often begins with a sudden rise in temperature accompanied by facial flush and other flu-like symptoms - the fever usually continues for two to seven days and can be as high as 41°C, possibly with convulsions and other complications.
Symptoms usually abate after the fever subsides but in severe cases, the patient's condition may suddenly deteriorate after a few days of fever, the temperature drops, followed by signs of circulatory failure, and the patient may rapidly lapse into a critical state of shock and die within 12 to 24 hours.
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