First Report of Sylvatic DENV-2-Associated Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever in West Africa
Author Summary Dengue viruses are mosquito borne pathogens that cause up to 100 million infections annually. Dengue viruses circulate in either humans or non-human primates in two separate cycles: human and sylvatic. All four different serotypes infect humans causing frequent epidemics and severe disease, including hemorrhagic fever. Until a few years ago, viruses circulating in the sylvatic cycle had been associated with asymptomatic to mild disease only in humans. For example, retrospective analysis of human serum samples collected in Nigeria from the 1960s proved that sylvatic dengue was able to cause an outbreak of dengue fever in human population. Recently a case of DHF in Asia was linked to sylvatic DENV-2 (strain DKD811) infection. Here, we report the first case of DHF associated with sylvatic DENV-2 infection in Africa caused by a complete different lineage of the virus. All these events underscore the need to be vigilant about the re-emergence of DHF from sylvatic cycles.
2 Aug 2011 ... Ana Vázquez,. Affiliation National Center for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain. ⨯. Nazir Savji,. Affiliation ...