Dengue Fever Test

Dengue fever is a viral infection spread to people through bites from infected mosquitos. You can't catch the virus from a person who is sick with dengue fever. A dengue fever test checks a sample of your blood to see if you have the virus.

The test is used if you have symptoms of dengue fever and have been in an area where mosquitos carry the virus. The dengue virus is most common in parts of the world with tropical and subtropical climates, including: South and Central America; The Caribbean, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands; Asia; The Middle East; The Pacific Islands; Africa; Outbreaks of dengue fever are rare in the U.S. mainland.

But small outbreaks have been reported in parts of Florida and Texas. Most people who get the dengue virus won't become sick. People who do get sick may have mild to severe symptoms that usually begin four to ten days after a bite from an infected mosquito.

The most common symptom is a sudden high fever. There is no specific medicine that can cure or treat dengue fever, but most people will recover after about a week. Some people who get sick with dengue will develop severe dengue disease.

Severe dengue can cause internal bleeding and shock, which can be life-threatening. Infants and pregnant women have a higher risk for developing severe dengue. The risk is also higher for people who have had dengue and then get it again.

That's why it's so important to get a dengue fever test if you have symptoms after being in an area where the virus is common. There are two main types of dengue fever blood tests: Antibody tests check your blood sample for proteins, called antibodies, that your immune system makes to fight viruses and other germs. Your body needs time to make specific antibodies to fight dengue.

So, these tests are most accurate when they are done four days or more after your symptoms begin.; Molecular tests look for genetic material from the dengue virus in your blood sample. A PCR test (polymerase chain reaction) is a type of molecular test that's used to check for dengue. These tests can be done during the first seven days after your symptoms begin.

Tests done later than that may not have accurate results.; One type of PCR test can check for dengue along with two other viruses that mosquitos carry. These viruses, chikungunya and zika, are common in the same places as the dengue virus, and they cause similar symptoms. Your provider can order this test from your state or local public health department.

Why this test is done

You may need to be tested for the dengue virus if you have symptoms of dengue fever and have been in an area where the virus is common. Symptoms usually show up four to ten days after being bitten by an infected mosquito.

Symptoms of dengue fever include a sudden high fever (104°F or higher) with any of these other symptoms:

• Nausea and vomiting
• Rash
• Eye pain, typically behind the eyes
• Headache
• Joint, bone or muscle pain

Symptoms of severe dengue may begin 24 to 48 hours after the fever has gone away. Get medical help right away if you or a family member has any of these warning signs of severe dengue:

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

How to prepare

You don't need any special preparations for a dengue fever test.

Sample type

Blood

Other names for this test

dengue virus antibody, dengue virus by PCR