Causative Agent
Dengue virus types 1 to 4
Incubation Period
5 – 7 days (range 3 – 14 days)
Infectious Period
From up to 2 days before illness onset to 5 days after illness onset.
Transmission
Transmitted by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes.
Epidemiology
A total of 4497 cases of DF/DHF were reported in 2009 compared to 7031 cases in 2008. Of the reported cases, 46 (1.0%) cases were notified as DHF. The incidence rate among local residents was highest in the 15-24 year age group with a male to female ratio of 1.6:1.
Most infections in children are subclinical whereas infections in adults are more likely to be symptomatic. All four serotypes of dengue virus are present in Singapore. The disease is endemic in most countries in the tropics, Africa, the Caribbean, Central and South America as well as Southeast Asia.