Imported case of Dengue virus 3 genotype I in Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil

ABSTRACT

The dengue virus (DENV), of the genus Flavivirus (Flaviviridae), has four antigenically distinct serotypes, of which DENV-3 is classified into five genotypes. Here, we describe the detection of DENV-3 genotype I in sera of a Brazilian patient travelling from Singapore to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, by using multiplex real-time RT-PCR, DNA sequencing of the whole envelope protein gene, and phylogenetic analysis. The virus shares ancestry with those identified in Bali, Indonesia, in 2015. It is possible that arboviruses such as Chikungunya ECSA genotype, DENV-4 genotype I, and Zika were introduced in Brazil from other continents during the multiple international events hosted by the country over the last four years, including World Youth Day, the Soccer World Cup, and the Summer Olympics.