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Dengue
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Dengue is a disease caused by a virus, dengue virus, and it is spread mainly by Aedes mosquitoes. The virus belongs to the flavivirus group and comes in four versions, called serotypes.
When dengue turns severe, what sets it apart is a plasma leak, plasma being the liquid part of the blood. Picture the capillaries, the thinnest blood vessels, as tubes lined on the inside with tiles; those tiles are the endothelial cells. In severe dengue the tiles do not crack or fall off: the wall stays whole, but it lets out plasma it used to hold in. This is called increased capillary permeability, and it is temporary, not permanent.
Something important happens with the serotypes. A first infection leaves lasting immunity, meaning protection given by the immune system, but only against the serotype that caused it; against the others, that protection is short-lived. This quirk contributes to a higher risk that a later infection with a different serotype will end up as severe dengue.
In brief
Dengue is a viral disease caused by dengue virus, a flavivirus with four serotypes that is spread mainly by Aedes mosquitoes.
In severe dengue, the hallmark is a temporary plasma leak caused by increased capillary permeability, not by direct destruction of the endothelium.
The capillary does not break: it stays whole but lets plasma escape.
A first infection leaves lasting immunity against its own serotype but only short-lived immunity against the others, which contributes to a higher risk of severe dengue after infection with another.
Sources (1)
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingDengue Fever, StatPearlsPublished
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
Updated