Fever, dengue hemorrhagic (DHF)


Fever, dengue hemorrhagic (DHF): A syndrome due to the dengue virus that tends to affect children under 10, causing abdominal pain, hemorrhage (bleeding) and circulatory collapse (shock). DHF starts abruptly with high continuous fever and headache plus respiratory and intestinal symptoms with sore throat, cough, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Shock occurs after 2 to 6 days with sudden collapse, cool clammy extremities, weak thready pulse, and blueness around the mouth (circumoral cyanosis). There is bleeding with easy bruising, blood spots in the skin (petechiae), spitting up blood (hematemesis), blood in the stool (melena), bleeding gums and nosebleeds (epistaxis). Pneumonia and heart inflammation (myocarditis) may be present. The mortality is appreciable ranging from 6 to 30%. Most deaths occur in children. Infants under a year of age are especially at risk of death. DHF is also called Philippine, Thai, or Southeast Asian hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome.

Read Also:

  • Fever, desert

    Fever, desert: A disease also called coccidioidomycosis (CM) due to a fungus called Coccidioides immitis. About 40% of people infected with this fungus develop symptoms. Most often they have an influenza-like illness with fever, cough, headaches, rash, and myalgias (muscle pains). Of those people with symptoms, 8% have severe lung disease requiring hospitalization and 7% […]

  • Fever, dumdum

    Fever, dumdum: Also called kala-azar, a chronic, potentially fatal parasitic disease of the viscera (the internal organs) due to infection by an agent called Leishmania donovani. Leishmania donovani is transmitted by sandfly bites in parts of Asia (primarily India), Africa (primarily Sudan) and South America (primarily Brazil) where all together there are an estimated half […]

  • Fever, dengue

    Fever, dengue: An acute mosquito-borne viral illness of sudden onset with headache, fever, prostration, severe joint and muscle pain, swollen glands (lymphadenopathy), and rash. The presence of fever, rash, and headache (the ‘dengue triad’) is characteristic. Dengue fever is endemic throughout the tropics and subtropics. Also called breakbone fever, dandy fever, and dengue. Victims of […]

  • Fever, dandy

    Fever, dandy: An acute mosquito- borne viral illness of sudden onset that usually follows a benign course with headache, fever, prostration, severe joint and muscle pain, swollen glands (lymphadenopathy) and rash. The presence (the “dengue triad”) of fever, rash, and headache (and other pains) is particularly characteristic. Better known as dengue, the disease is endemic […]

  • FGFR2

    FGFR2: A mutation (change) in the fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) gene on chromosome 10 causes the best-known type of acrocephalosyndactyly, namely Apert syndrome which is characterized by abnormalities of the skull and face and the hands and feet. There is premature closure of some of the sutures of the skull (craniosynostosis) resulting in […]


Disclaimer: Fever, dengue hemorrhagic (DHF) definition / meaning should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. All content on this website is for informational purposes only.