DENGUE-GENOTYPE/SEROTYPE (1,2,3 & 4)

Overview

Dengue virus (DENV) is a small single-stranded RNA virus comprising mainly four distinct serotypes (DEN-1 to -4). These closely related serotypes of the dengue virus belong to the genus Flavivirus, family Flaviviridae, and are transmitted by Aedes sp. mosquitoes. Primary infection is thought to induce lifelong protective immunity to the infecting serotype. However, infection with one serotype of DENV confers only short-lived immunity against heterologous serotypes, after that a secondary infection with any of the remaining serotypes has been shown to be a significant risk factor for the development of DHF or DSS. In particular, “Asian” genotypes of DEN-2 and DEN-3 are frequently associated with severe disease accompanying secondary dengue infections.