Causes of dengue As reported by CDC, dengue is caused by four closely related but distinct viruses.

An example of the virus would be the one that causes the common cold you have probably had more than a few times. Dengue fever is actually caused by four different viruses that are incredibly similar; they are called virus serotypes. A virus serotype is a scientific term for a closely related virus that shares similarities. In other words, virus serotypes are very much alike. Dengue fever virus serotypes are: DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3, DEN-4. The viruses are so closely related that the only way to find out which strain a person has is to get a blood test. Each serotype mirrors the other serotypes so closely that symptoms and progression follow almost the same pattern. The four serotypes of dengue belong to the genus Flavivirus, family Flaviviridae. There are three major illnesses caused by Flaviviridae: tick-borne encephalitis virus, Japanese encephalitis and dengue fever.