Most people recover from dengue infection within two weeks. The symptoms of dengue are not usually life-threatening, however if not treated properly and in a timely manner they can become severe and lead to death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “The main symptoms of dengue fever are high fever, severe headache, severe pain behind the eyes, joint pain, muscle and bone pain, rash, and mild bleeding” (CDC , 2012). Hemorrhagic fever is a life-threatening condition that can occur due to untreated or uncontrolled general symptoms. The CDC explains hemorrhagic fever as: “Fever lasting 2-7 days, with general signs and symptoms consistent with dengue fever. As the fever subsides, symptoms include persistent vomiting, severe abdominal pain, and difficulty breathing” (CDC, 2012). If these severe symptoms occur, it is the beginning of a two-day period in which the capillaries become leaky and leak fluid into the peritoneum causing ascites and pleural effusion. This leads to collapse of the circulatory system and shock, resulting in death. Complications that may occur with dengue fever include the following: fluid overload due to large pleural effusion and ascites, acute respiratory distress, pulmonary edema, metabolic acidosis, severe shock, hyper/hypoglycemia, electrolyte disturbance