Control of Contacts Not applicable. Epidemic Measures See the Victorian Arbovirus Task Force Contingency Plan for outbreaks of AE for details. Classically, dengue fever presents as an acute febrile illness of sudden onset. In contrast to classic dengue, myalgia and bone pains are unusual in dengue haemorrhagic fever which is a disease of abrupt onset characterised by fever, palpable lymph nodes and liver, scattered petechiae and rapid deterioration. Other haemorrhagic phenomena such as melaena, haematemesis and shock are poor prognostic signs.
Death usually occurs on the fourth or fifth day.
Public Health Significance and Occurrence Outbreaks of this disease have occurred throughout the tropics and over the past 40 years. A complication, dengue shock syndrome, is believed to be caused by immune enhancement of infection, in which dengue antibodies from prior infections appear to promote the infection of other serotypes. Outbreaks of dengue have occurred in Northern Australia but have been limited by the distribution of Aedes aegypti. Rising titre to Dengue virus antibodies. It is transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito usually Ae.