: an acute infectious disease caused by a flavivirus (serotypes of Orthoflavivirus denguei), transmitted by aedes mosquitoes, and typically characterized by headache, severe joint pain, and a rash but may progress into a more serious illness marked by hemorrhagic symptoms
called also breakbone fever, dengue fever
Examples of dengue in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Jamestown Canyon virus accumulates genetic changes 10 to 100 times more slowly per calendar year than dengue, Rift Valley fever or chikungunya.
—
John Drake,
Forbes.com,
4 July 2026
The species, which originated in Africa and continues to spread throughout Sacramento and Yolo counties, can carry dengue, Zika, yellow fever and chikungunya, diseases that can be life-threatening to humans.
—
Reeti Malhotra,
Sacbee.com,
1 July 2026
Conditions are ripe for waterborne infections like dengue, yellow fever and malaria to spread.
—
ABC News,
30 June 2026
But these few species are devastating, causing some 700 million illnesses and 1 million deaths globally each year due to infections like malaria, dengue fever, Zika and West Nile virus.
—
Brenda Goodman,
CNN Money,
19 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for dengue
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John Drake,
Forbes.com,
4 July 2026
The species, which originated in Africa and continues to spread throughout Sacramento and Yolo counties, can carry dengue, Zika, yellow fever and chikungunya, diseases that can be life-threatening to humans.
—
Reeti Malhotra,
Sacbee.com,
1 July 2026
Conditions are ripe for waterborne infections like dengue, yellow fever and malaria to spread.
—
ABC News,
30 June 2026
But these few species are devastating, causing some 700 million illnesses and 1 million deaths globally each year due to infections like malaria, dengue fever, Zika and West Nile virus.
—
Brenda Goodman,
CNN Money,
19 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for dengue
Cite this Entry
“Dengue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dengue. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
: an acute infectious disease that is caused by a flavivirus (serotypes of Orthoflavivirus denguei) transmitted by mosquitos of the genus Aedes and that is typically characterized by headache, severe joint pain, and a rash but may progress to the more severe dengue hemorrhagic fever
called also breakbone fever, dandy fever, dengue fever
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