Dengue virus infection. Animation of dengue virus particles (dark green) in the blood stream. Antibodies (bright green) have recognised the virus and are binding to it. This marks the virus for destruction by phagocytes, white blood cells that ingest and destroy foreign bodies. This virus, transmitted by the bite of Aedes sp. mosquitoes, causes the tropical disease dengue fever in humans. Symptoms can range from a mild fever and joint pain to spontaneous bleeding of the skin and circulatory failure, which are often fatal.