Food for Thought
› Development of a dengue vaccine has been complicated by several factors, including the lack of a clear understanding of
disease pathology, lack of an appropriate animal model of dengue infection, and by the possibility that the immune system is
involved in disease pathogenesis and may not respond appropriately to a vaccine
Red Flags
› Mortality rate is highest when the difference between the systolic and diastolic blood pressure is < 10 mm Hg
› Indicators of poor prognosis in patients with DSS include profound or recurrent shock, respiratory failure, and high-level
leukocytosis without evidence of a secondary bacterial infection
What Do I Need to Tell the Patient/Patient’s Family?
› Advise that DHF cannot be directly transmitted between humans
› Educate patient/family about ways to decrease the risk for contracting dengue while in endemic areas; these include use of
insect repellent, mosquito netting, and protective clothing; avoid traveling to endemic areas during peak mosquito activity
Note
› Recent review of the literature has found no updated research evidence on this topic since previous publication on February
21, 2014