Description

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Dengue?

Dengue is a viral infection caused by 1 of 4 types of dengue virus. It is not usually spread directly from person to person but instead is spread by infected mosquitoes. Widespread in many parts of the world, dengue is often caught by people visiting or living in these areas:

• Asia
• Africa
• South and Central Americas
• The Caribbean
• The Indian subcontinent
• The Pacific Islands
• Australia

Why should I test?

Sometimes the symptoms are mild and can be mistaken for a normal fever or infection. Although the infection is usually mild and will pass after about 1 week without long term problems, in rare cases it can be serious and potentially life threatening so testing for dengue early is crucial.

A Test for dengue will detect 1 of 3 things IgG, IgM or NS1. Testing for IgM and IgG class antibodies will tell you if you are or were infected with dengue. But the NS1 virus protein can be detected 1-2 days after symptoms for dengue appear, even before IgM antibodies appear in the blood.

All 3 are important as they can all tell you if you have been infected with dengue.

What are the symptoms of Dengue?

Symptoms of dengue usually develop suddenly 3 to 8 days after you become infected. The most common symptoms include:

• High temperature, or feeling hot or shivery
• Fatigue
• Muscle and joint pain
• A severe headache and pain behind the eyes
• Feeling sick or vomiting
• Development of skin rashes
• Stomach ache and loss of appetite

Typically symptoms will pass after about 10 days, although you may still feel tired and slightly unwell for several weeks afterwards.

Severe Dengue

In rare cases severe dengue can develop after the initial symptoms, requiring emergency medical treatment. Infants, pregnant women and those who have previously had dengue are at higher risk of developing severe dengue.

Some of the more severe symptoms include:

• Stomach pain, tenderness
• Vomiting (at least 3 times in 24 hours)
• Bleeding from the nose or gums
• Vomiting blood, or blood in the stool
• Feeling tired, restless, or irritable

How is Dengue spread?

Dengue is spread by the bite of an Aedes aegypti mosquito infected with the dengue virus. The mosquito becomes infected when it bites a person with dengue virus in their blood.

What does a positive test mean?

A positive test would mean we have detected dengue virus in your blood.

What does a negative test mean?

A negative test would mean we have not detected dengue virus in your blood.

How accurate is the test?

The test has a Sensitivity= 93% and a Specificity= 97.50%