Dengue is not spread from person to person. The dengue virus is transmitted to humans by mosquito bites from infected Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. Mosquitoes become infected when they bite humans who have the dengue virus.
There is evidence that pregnant women who become infected with dengue may be capable of transmitting the virus to their newborn baby, however, the risk is believed to be low and dependent on the timing of the illness during pregnancy.
In rare cases, dengue can also be transmitted through organ transplant, blood transfusion, or needle-stick injury.
The transmission of dengue usually occurs as either epidemic dengue or hyperendemic dengue. With epidemic dengue, a single serotype of dengue virus is responsible for cases and outbreaks. Epidemic dengue affects persons of all ages but cases of dengue hemmhoragic fever (DHF) are low. Hyperendemic dengue occurs when more than one dengue serotype circulates within a community. Hyperendemic dengue causes more illness among children than adults, and rates of DHF are higher.
IMPORTANT NOTE: NVIC encourages you to become fully informed about Dengue and the Dengue vaccine by reading all sections in the Table of Contents, which contains many links and resources such as the manufacturer product information inserts, and to speak with one or more trusted health care professionals before making a vaccination decision for yourself or your child. This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice.
