Mosquito bite: care, and when it could be dengue
Most mosquito bites are an itchy bump and nothing more. Here the one to think about is dengue, spread by a mosquito that bites in the daytime.
What a mosquito bite looks like
Usually a puffy, reddish bump a few minutes after the bite, or a hard, itchy, reddish-brown bump a day or so later. Some people get small blisters instead, or dark spots that look like bruises.
Calming the itch
- Wash the bite and the skin around it with soap and water.
- Hold an ice pack on it for 10 minutes to bring down the swelling and itch.
- Use an anti-itch or antihistamine cream from the pharmacy if it still itches.
See a doctor if the bite gets worse, or for a large area of swelling and redness, a low fever, hives or swollen glands.
When it could be dengue
Dengue spreads through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito, which is active in daylight. If it makes you ill, the signs usually start 4 to 10 days after the bite and last 2 to 7 days: a high fever, a bad headache, pain behind the eyes, aching muscles and joints, nausea, vomiting and a rash.
See a doctor for any of these. Go at once for severe stomach pain, vomiting that will not stop, fast breathing, bleeding gums or nose, blood in vomit or stool, great thirst, pale and cold skin, or weakness. The WHO advises rest and plenty of fluids, and against ibuprofen and aspirin.
Confirmed dengue cases, 1 January to 15 February 2025
Fewer bites at home
Use an insect repellent and wear loose, long sleeves and long trousers, in the day as well as at night. The mosquitoes breed in standing water around the house, and mosquito larvae shows what to look for and how to empty, cover or treat it. More in paano mawala ang lamok sa bahay, and how to tell a dengue mosquito from the others on types of mosquitoes.
If there are more breeding places than you can keep empty, book a visit through mosquito and fly treatment. We cover Pampanga, Bulacan, Bataan, Tarlac and Olongapo.
Sources
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, About Mosquito Bites, read 26 September 2026
- World Health Organization, Dengue and severe dengue, read 26 September 2026
- DOH Central Luzon figures as reported by the Philippine Star, 26 February 2025, read 26 September 2026
Tell us what you have found
Send the pest, the town and roughly how long it has been going on. That is enough for us to say what the treatment would involve and what it depends on.