Overview of Dengue Viruses and Their Relations

ABSTRACT

Dengue virus (DENV) is one of the most important mosquito-borne diseases. It belongs to the genus Flavivirus of the family Flaviviridae and is a small enveloped, positive single-stranded RNA virus. Dengue virus comprise four distinct serotypes, DEN-1 through DEN-4, which are transmitted from infected to healthy humans through bites of female Aedes aegypti and A. albopictus. Dengue infection is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in tropical and subtropical countries. Over 2.5 billion people are at risk of dengue infection, and about 100 million cases of dengue fever occur annually. Up to 500,000 of these develop dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) or dengue shock syndrome (DSS), the life-threatening forms of infection. At present, no proven vaccine is available for all 4 dengue serotypes, nor specific antiviral drugs to treat infection. Studies of the viral structure, clinical presentation and classification, basic to advanced diagnostic tools, and primary treatments, are necessary for effective disease prevention and control. This review summarizes current basic knowledge of dengue virus infection, based on clinical and laboratory studies. This overview of dengue virus infection should be useful for developing disease control programs and further research.