Viral Fever

What is a viral fever?

A fever is a sign of an illness in which the body temperature is higher than normal. Generally, a fever indicates that the body is fighting off a foreign organism that has entered the body. When this foreign organism is a virus, it is called viral fever. Many viral infections cause fever, e.g., common cold, dengue and respiratory infection.

What are its main associated signs and symptoms?

An individual may experience the following signs and symptoms with viral fever:

• Body pain
• Weakness
• Loss of appetite
• Weight loss
• Fatigue
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Rash
• Headache
• Chills
• Shivering

What are the main causes?

Common viral infections that can cause fever are listed below:

• Dengue fever
• Respiratory syncytial virus infection
• HIV 
• Middle ear infection
• Swine flu
• Chickenpox
• Measles
• Herpes simplex
• Hepatitis
• Shingles

Consumption of food contaminated with a virus may also lead to viral fever due to food poisoning. Inhalation of viruses through the air containing contaminated nasal droplets from an infected person is the commonest route of viral disease transmission. Insects like mosquitoes are responsible for transmitting viruses like that of dengue.

How is it diagnosed and treated?

The doctor will perform a physical examination to detect increased body temperature and other symptoms of viral fever. He will then order blood tests to check for the presence of viral antibodies (antibodies to various viral infections) and diagnose the exact cause of the fever. Other specific tests might be done to identify the virus along with imaging tests like ultrasound and chest X-ray.

The exact treatment of viral fever will vary depending on the cause. The doctor may recommend the following general therapies:

• Pain relievers to reduce the pain
• Anti-pyretic to reduce fever
• Anti-viral drugs to treat the viral infection

The following lifestyle management steps can help in preventing and treating a viral fever:

• Reducing stress
• Eating a healthy and balanced diet
• Regular exercise
• Adequate rest
• Good hydration.

1. MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: US National Library of Medicine; Fever
2. Center for Disease Control and Prevention [internet], Atlanta (GA): US Department of Health and Human Services; Flu Symptoms & Complications
3. InformedHealth.org [Internet]. Cologne, Germany: Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG); 2006-. Fever in children: Overview. 2013 Dec 18 [Updated 2016 Nov 17].
4. healthdirect Australia. Differences between bacterial and viral infection. Australian government: Department of Health
5. A Sahib Mehdi El-Radhi. Fever management: Evidence vs current practice . World J Clin Pediatr. 2012 Dec 8; 1(4): 29–33. PMID: 25254165

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