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Dengue or Cold? Decoding Symptoms to Avoid Confusion
28 Aug
Summary
- Fever, body aches can signal both cold and mosquito-borne diseases
- Timing, location, and severity of symptoms are key to differentiation
- Worsening fever, vomiting, bleeding are danger signs for severe dengue
As of 2025-08-28T12:46:02+00:00, the overlap between cold and mosquito seasons in India has made it increasingly challenging to differentiate between a common viral infection and a potentially life-threatening mosquito-borne disease like dengue. While both conditions can present with fever and body aches, the article outlines key distinctions to help identify the underlying cause.
For a common cold, the symptoms typically peak within the first 2-3 days and improve within a week, with the focus being on respiratory issues like a runny nose, sneezing, and sore throat. In contrast, a simple mosquito bite usually results in a localized skin reaction, such as a small red bump or itchiness, without systemic symptoms.
However, if a mosquito bite transmits an infection, the patient can develop more severe, system-wide symptoms days later, including high fever, joint pain, headache, and nausea. The most common mosquito-borne infections in India are dengue, malaria, and chikungunya.
The article emphasizes that worsening fever, persistent vomiting, bleeding tendencies in the gums and nose, severe abdominal pain, or breathlessness can be danger signs of severe dengue. At this stage, it is crucial to seek urgent medical attention.
To differentiate between a cold and a mosquito-borne disease, the article advises considering the timing, location, and pattern of symptoms. If symptoms develop immediately after a bite, it is likely a local reaction. However, if high fever, severe body or joint pain, and other systemic signs appear several days after exposure to mosquitoes, it could be a mosquito-borne infection.
