Dengue on Curacao

Last update March 25, 2024. This page is today () still up-to-date.

Dengue on Curacao

In winter 2023/2024, there is an outbreak of dengue in Curacao. We hereby give you some highlights of the situation:

Preventing Dengue

As already reported, preventing dengue (dengue fever) is mainly a matter of avoiding being bitten by an infected mosquito. What helps with this is that the mosquito that can transmit the dengue virus is mostly active during the day and almost never after dark.

Mosquito protection

To protect yourself from mosquitoes, we can give you the following tips:
Wear loose, protective clothing
Mosquitoes can poke through tight clothing quite easily, so, for example, tight long leggings won’t help much. Better put on loose-fitting clothes. Of course, as long as possible: shorts and shirts will offer little protection from mosquitoes.

Use DEET
Apply DEET regularly and properly. Preferably a lotion or spray that is 50% DEET. If the percentage is lower, it won’t help as much and you’ll have to reapply yourself sooner. A higher percentage of DEET than 50% is not necessary: it offers no extra protection, and by doing so you are really just smearing unnecessary extra poison on your skin.
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Mosquito net
In your bedroom, you can hang a mosquito net to protect you from mosquitoes while you sleep. As already reported, the dengue mosquito is mostly active during the day, but if you want to be on the safe side and not be bothered by any mosquito in bed anyway, a mosquito net is an ideal solution. Bring a travel mosquito net, which is a little easier to hang without having to put screws etc. directly into the ceiling.
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Air conditioning
Mosquitoes don’t like cold and wind, so turning on the air conditioner pretty much guarantees a “mosquito-free” night. Be aware that on average an air conditioner on Curacao uses about up to US$ 10 per night in electricity. If you are staying in a smaller accommodation, sometimes at the end of the vacation the electricity consumption is still charged to you. So general tip (apart from the mosquitoes): when you leave the room, turn off the air conditioner.

Anti-mosquito shopping in Curacao
You can also buy items in the supermarket on Curacao that help in the fight against mosquitoes:
– Smoking spirals: you put these on a saucer and light them, then the spiral burns up quietly in about 3 hours. The smoke from this does not please the mosquitoes so they leave. You can smell it a little bit, but that in itself is not bothersome.
– OFF!: One of the popular spray cans of “anti-mosquito stuff” is OFF! OFF! comes in green and orange varieties, the orange variety helps better for most people. Note: this is really toxic stuff though, so don’t use it more/frequently than necessary. But it does work well!
– Mosquito swatter: For a few guilders you can buy a mosquito swatter at a Chinese supermarket along the road. That’s one of those tennis rackets you can beat mosquitoes to death with. When purchasing, check that the batteries are included.

1- Contamination

Infection can only occur through the bite of a mosquito that is active and infected during the day. Dengue cannot be transmitted from person to person, so if your travel companion has contracted dengue then there is no risk that you will also be infected by him/her.
After the first symptoms of dengue appear, that person is still infectious to mosquitoes for about a week. So if the infected person is stung by a “dengue mosquito” within that period, that mosquito thereby picks up the virus and can again transmit the virus to another person. Once a non-infectious mosquito has picked up the virus from an infected person, it takes another 1 to 2 weeks for that mosquito to become infectious as well. That mosquito then remains so until her death. A mosquito can also transmit the virus to its eggs, allowing the mosquitoes to grow from their eggs into an adult mosquito that is infectious to humans.

2- Incubation period

If you have been bitten by a mosquito carrying the Dengue virus, it can take up to 2 weeks for the first symptoms to appear. But usually you will notice something within 7 days or so.

3- Symptoms and course

First the good news: about 40 to 80 percent of persons infected with the Dengue virus will show no symptoms. So you have it, but get very little, if any, of it. Theoretical addition: there are 4 different types of dengue, but the symptoms are about the same for each type so we will not name that distinction further.
The majority of infected persons will experience mild symptoms of dengue fever as symptoms. Consider here:

• sudden onset of fever (up to 41°C or 106°F) with chills
• headaches (especially behind the eyes)
• muscle and/or joint pain
• Skin rash on the first or second day of illness

This is usually considered non-serious or uncomplicated dengue. If the symptoms remain (very) mild, then at first you probably won’t think of dengue either, but rather a flu or COVID-19. After the first few days of illness, symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, coughing and sore throat are added. As the fever subsides, a (new) rash may appear on the trunk, arms/legs and face. This will persist for about several days to 2 weeks after the mosquito bite.

If after 2 to 5 days the situation worsens (rapidly) including increased bleeding tendencies (including nosebleeds), then severe dengue may be present and can become life-threatening if left untreated. Especially if leads to dengue shock syndrome . Note that the symptoms of severe dengue may present themselves precisely when the fever drops. Severe dengue occurs in about 1 in 20 persons who contract uncomplicated dengue. Signs that may indicate severe dengue:

• severe abdominal pain
• persistent vomiting
• rapid breathing
• bleeding (including nosebleeds or bleeding gums)
• fatigue and restlessness
• blood in stool

Keep in mind that any case of dengue is highly self-limiting and will almost certainly affect travel plans. Studies show that about 40% of those with dengue symptoms are hospitalized.

4- Treatment and recovery

For starters, if dengue is suspected, you should consult a (family) doctor for advice as soon as possible. Furthermore, unfortunately, there is no cure for dengue; it becomes mainly a matter of treating the symptoms and getting out.
1- With symptoms possibly indicating dengue fever, contact a doctor as soon as possible anyway. Do not ignore warning signals!
2- Get tested -in consultation with the doctor- at the hospital
3- Take as much rest as possible and drink plenty of water
4- Stay in touch with a physician about the course
If severe dengue is suspected, you will be hospitalized for treatment.
If you have uncomplicated dengue, you will recover after about a week. Recovery will usually be quick and complete.

More about mosquitoes

If you want more info about mosquitoes on Curacao and how to avoid them, read the“Mosquitoes on Curacao” page.