Although the beginning of the disease is almost similar, but the two dengue virus infection have different levels of severity.

Dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) is a contagious disease caused by dengue virus transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Dengue virus infection spreads quickly and can attack many people in the epidemic. More severe conditions experienced by the children.

DHF is a more severe form of dengue fever because of bleeding and shock may occur which sometimes could be fatal, which is death. Symptoms of dengue fever or DHF is generally quite similar. “In the initial phase, the two diseases couldn’t be distinguished,” he said.

In general, the dengue fever and DHF are typical.

Dengue fever
- Acute fever for 2-7 days, accompanied by headache, sore muscles and joints
- Can be accompanied decrease in platelets.
- The heat will come down on the third or fourth day.
- Better cure rate.

DHF:
- Sudden high fever, accompanied by headache, pain in the back of the eyeball, sometimes abdominal pain.
- There is a sign of rash or red spots on skin
- Not accompanied by a cough or sore in the throat.
- Platelets and leukocytes down (less than 100,000)
- Hematocrit levels  increasing (up 20 percent of normal).
- Bleeding the soft tissues (nose, mouth, or gums).
- There was infiltration of plasma. The more leaks can cause shock.

Added by Alan physician, determination of dengue fever or DHF can only be done on the third day through the clinical symptoms plus the investigation. “The diagnosis of DHF can enforced if it fulfills two clinical criteria and a decrease in platelets and increased hematocrit,” he explained.