dengue

noun den·gue \ ˈdeŋ-gē , -ˌgā \

|Updated on: 31 May 2018

Definition of dengue

: an acute infectious disease caused by a flavivirus (species Dengue virus of the genus Flavivirus), transmitted by aedes mosquitoes, and characterized by headache, severe joint pain, and a rash — called also breakbone fever, dengue fever

Recent Examples of dengue from the Web

In the United States, there was limited local spread of dengue and Zika viruses in Florida and Texas.

— lena h. sun, chicagotribune.com, "Diseases spread by ticks, mosquitoes and fleas more than tripled in the U.S.," 2 May 2018
More jet travel from the tropics means that previously obscure viruses like dengue and Zika are moving long distances rapidly in human blood.

— BostonGlobe.com, "Tick and mosquito infections are spreading rapidly, CDC finds," 1 May 2018
On island territories like Puerto Rico, the threat is mosquitoes carrying viruses like dengue and Zika.

— donald g. mcneil jr., New York Times, "Tick and Mosquito Infections Spreading Rapidly, C.D.C. Finds," 1 May 2018
Earliest this year, researchers showed that CRISPR can detect Zika, dengue, and the HPV virus, as well as harmful bacteria and cancer mutations, in human blood, urine, and saliva.

— alessandra potenza, The Verge, "This company is making an at-home CRISPR kit to find out what’s making you sick," 26 Apr. 2018
In severe cases, dengue can result in breathing problems, hemorrhaging and organ failure.

— Washington Post, "UN health agency: Dengue vaccine shouldn’t be used widely," 19 Apr. 2018
On the mild end, people with dengue may experience a high fever (think 104 degrees Fahrenheit), a rash, muscle and joint pain, pain behind the eyes, and swollen glands, as well as easy bruising.

— emma sarran webster, Allure, "What You Should Know About the Rise of Insect-Spread Diseases," 3 May 2018
In the United States, there was limited local spread of dengue and Zika viruses in Florida and Texas.

— lena h. sun, chicagotribune.com, "Diseases spread by ticks, mosquitoes and fleas more than tripled in the U.S.," 2 May 2018
In the United States, there was limited local spread of dengue and Zika viruses in Florida and Texas.

— Anchorage Daily News, "Mosquito and tick infections are surging, CDC says," 1 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dengue.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of dengue

American Spanish

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1828

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

Other Medicine Terms

analgesia, angina, diabetes, hepatitis, homeopathy, logorrhea, palliate, pandemic

Medical Dictionary

dengue

noun den·gue \ ˈdeŋ-gē , -ˌgā \

medical Definition of dengue

: an acute infectious disease that is characterized by headache, severe joint pain, and a rash and that is caused by a single-stranded RNA virus of the genus Flavivirus (species Dengue virus) transmitted by mosquitoes of the genus Aedes — called also breakbone fever, dandy fever, dengue fever