As with any illness, tell the child’s family if you are concerned about their health. Contact 911 or your local emergency system if you think a child may be having a medical emergency.

Dengue is an infection caused by one of four dengue viruses. Infected mosquitoes spread this to people by biting them. Dengue can be deadly.

What are the symptoms of dengue?

Most people who are infected with dengue have mild or no symptoms.

Symptoms of dengue include:

• High fever
• Headache
• Pain behind the eyes
• Red eyes
• Joint, muscle, or bone pain
• Rash
• Vomiting
• Unusual bleeding (e.g., bleeding nose or gums, bruising)

Symptoms usually last between two to seven days. Younger children with their first dengue infection usually have a milder illness than older children and adults.

Dengue is a notifiable disease.

If a staff member or child is diagnosed with dengue or has been around someone who is infected, contact and follow guidance from the public health department in your jurisdiction. Your local health authorities can help you notify parents about their child’s possible or confirmed exposures to an infectious disease.

Severe dengue is an emergency.

One in four people who get sick with dengue will not recover on their own and will develop severe dengue. Severe dengue is a medical emergency and needs medical care at once, sometimes hospitalization.

It is important for families to see their health care provider if anyone in the family develops dengue symptoms, like fever, headache, rash, joint pain, or red eyes. Because dengue can be confused with other illnesses, a health care provider may order blood tests to look for dengue or other similar diseases.

How does dengue spread?

Dengue spreads through the bite of infected mosquitoes. Mosquitoes get infected when they bite a person who has the virus. The mosquitoes that spread dengue can also spread other diseases.

Dengue cannot be spread through saliva, coughing, or touching.

Who is at risk?

Dengue is often found in tropical areas. Anyone who lives in an area or travels to an area where dengue virus is found is at risk.

How to put insect repellent on children:

• Put insect repellent on your hands then put it on the child’s face.
• Don’t use oil of lemon and eucalyptus on children younger than 3 years old.
• Don’t use insect repellent on babies younger than 2 months.
• Protect children younger than 2 months by covering their carrier with mosquito netting.
• Don't put insect repellent on a child’s hands, eyes, mouth, and cut or irritated skin.

Get written permission from families before using insect repellent.

How can providers limit the spread of dengue?

Help protect children and staff from mosquito bites:

• Make sure there is no standing water near play areas. Once a week, empty and scrub, turn over, cover, or throw out items that hold water.
  • Buckets, planters, toys, pools, birdbaths, flowerpots, or trash containers can hold stagnant water that mosquitoes use to breed.
• Cover up! Wear protective clothing. Wear long-sleeved shirts and pants covering most of the body when outside.
• Stay in places with air conditioning or window and door screens to keep mosquitoes outside.
• Use EPA-approved insect repellents.
  • Follow label instructions, reapply as directed.
  • If you are using sunscreen, apply it before the insect repellent.

As always, follow regular infection control practices to help keep everyone healthy:

• Follow, review, and update exclusion policies. Exclude children if they:
  • Are too sick to take part in program activities.
  • Need more care than staff can give them without affecting the health and safety of other children.
  • Show any other signs or symptoms in your “stay home when sick” policy.
• Use your program’s health experts, including your Health and Mental Health Services Advisory Committee or child care health consultant, to stay up to date and to develop policies and procedures to prevent the spread of illness.
• There is a vaccine for older children and adults with evidence of a previous dengue infection and who live in areas of the world where dengue is common.

How can providers partner with families?

Here are some ways programs can partner with families:

• Check out the Preventing Infectious Diseases resources on the CDC Early Care and Education Portal.
• Help families find and use information about EPA-approved insect repellent.
• As with any illness, encourage families to contact the child’s health care provider with questions or concerns about symptoms that get worse.
• Remind families to call 911 or their local emergency system if they think their child may be having a medical emergency.

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Last Updated: August 27, 2025