Dengue fever

About: Dengue fever is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 17463 publications have been published within this topic receiving 485745 citations. The topic is also known as: Dengue & dengue disease.

Leptospirosis in Humans

Abstract: Leptospirosis is a widespread and potentially fatal zoonosis that is endemic in many tropical regions and causes large epidemics after heavy rainfall and flooding. Infection results from direct or indirect exposure to infected reservoir host animals that carry the pathogen in their renal tubules and shed pathogenic leptospires in their urine. Although many wild and domestic animals can serve as reservoir hosts , the brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) is the most important source of human infections. Individuals living in urban slum environments characterized by inadequate sanitation and poor housing are at high risk of rat exposure and leptospirosis. The global burden of leptospirosis is expected to rise with demographic shifts that favor increases in the number of urban poor in tropical regions subject to worsening storms and urban flooding due to climate change. Data emerging from prospective surveillance studies suggest that most human leptospiral infections in endemic areas are mild or asymptomatic. Development of more severe outcomes likely depends on three factors: epidemiological conditions, host susceptibility, and pathogen virulence (Fig. 1). Mortality increases with age, particularly in patients older than 60 years of age. High levels of bacteremia are associated with poor clinical outcomes and, based on animal model and in vitro studies, are related in part to poor recognition of leptospiral LPS by human TLR4. Patients with severe leptospirosis experience a cytokine storm characterized by high levels of IL-6, TNF-alpha, and IL-10. Patients with the HLA DQ6 allele are at higher risk of disease, suggesting a role for lymphocyte stimulation by a leptospiral superantigen. Leptospirosis typically presents as a nonspecific, acute febrile illness characterized by fever, myalgia, and headache and may be confused with other entities such as influenza and dengue fever. Newer diagnostic methods facilitate early diagnosis and antibiotic treatment. Patients progressing to multisystem organ failure have widespread hematogenous dissemination of pathogens. Nonoliguric (high output) renal dysfunction should be supported with fluids and electrolytes. When oliguric renal failure occurs, prompt initiation of dialysis can be life saving. Elevated bilirubin levels are due to hepatocellular damage and disruption of intercellular junctions between hepatocytes, resulting in leaking of bilirubin out of bile caniliculi. Hemorrhagic complications are common and are associated with coagulation abnormalities. Severe pulmonary hemorrhage syndrome due to extensive alveolar hemorrhage has a fatality rate of >50 %. Readers are referred to earlier, excellent summaries related to this subject (Adler and de la Pena-Moctezuma 2010; Bharti et al. 2003; Hartskeerl et al. 2011; Ko et al. 2009; Levett 2001; McBride et al. 2005).

Antibody-dependent enhancement of severe dengue disease in humans

Abstract: For dengue viruses 1 to 4 (DENV1-4), a specific range of antibody titer has been shown to enhance viral replication in vitro and severe disease in animal models. Although suspected, such antibody-dependent enhancement of severe disease has not been shown to occur in humans. Using multiple statistical approaches to study a long-term pediatric cohort in Nicaragua, we show that risk of severe dengue disease is highest within a narrow range of preexisting anti-DENV antibody titers. By contrast, we observe protection from all symptomatic dengue disease at high antibody titers. Thus, immune correlates of severe dengue must be evaluated separately from correlates of protection against symptomatic disease. These results have implications for studies of dengue pathogenesis and for vaccine development, because enhancement, not just lack of protection, is of concern.

Effect of temperature on the vector efficiency of Aedes aegypti for dengue 2 virus.

Abstract: The effect of temperature on the ability of Aedes aegypti to transmit dengue (DEN) 2 virus to rhesus monkeys was assessed as a possible explanation for the seasonal variation in the incidence of dengue hemorrhagic fever in Bangkok, Thailand. In two laboratory experiments, a Bangkok strain of Ae. aegypti was allowed to feed upon viremic monkeys infected with DEN-2 virus. Blood-engorged mosquitoes were separated into two groups and retained at constant temperatures. Virus infection and transmission rates were determined for Ae. aegypti at intervals ranging from 4 to 7 days during a 25-day incubation period. Results of the first experiment for mosquitoes infected with a low dose of DEN-2 virus and maintained at 20,24,26, and 3O"C, indicated that the infection rate ranged from 25% to 75% depending on the incubation period. However, DEN-2 virus was transmitted to monkeys only by Ae. aegypti retained at 30°C for 25 days. In the second experiment, the infection rate for Ae. aegypti that ingested a higher viral dose, and incubated at 26, 30, 32, and 35°C ranged from 67% to 95%. DEN-2 virus was transmitted to monkeys only by mosquitoes maintained at L 30°C. The extrinsic incubation period was 12 days for mos- quitoes at 3O"C, and was reduced to 7 days for mosquitoes incubated at 32°C and 35°C. These results imply that temperature-induced variations in the vector efficiency of Ae. aegypti may be a significant determinant in the annual cyclic pattern of dengue hemorrhagic fever epidemics in-Bangkok.

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to characterize dengue infections where dengue and Japanese encephalitis co-circulate.

Abstract: The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of detection of anti-dengue IgM by antibody capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was investigated in dengue infections in a variety of clinical settings. Sera from uninfected controls were uniformly negative. Serial specimens from experimental and natural infections showed that viremia and fever terminated as anti-dengue IgM became detectable. Anti-dengue IgM appeared in most cases by the 3rd afebrile day of illness and declined to undetectable levels after 30-60 days. Assay sensitivity was 78% in admission sera (924/1,183; 95% CI = 75-81%) and 97% in paired sera (1,030/1,062; 95% CI = 96-98%) thus exceeding or matching the performance of the hemagglutination-inhibition assay. Measurement of the anti-dengue IgM to anti-Japanese encephalitis IgM ratio correctly identified all sera from 112 patients with strictly defined Japanese encephalitis and 98% (307/312; 95% CI = 96-99%) of sera from patients whose dengue infections were confirmed by virus isolation. Dengue infections could be classified as primary or secondary by determining the ratio of units of dengue IgM to IgG antibody. We propose that measurement of dengue and Japanese encephalitis IgM and IgG antibodies upon admission and discharge from hospital care should replace the hemagglutination inhibition assay as the standard dengue serologic technique in regions where these 2 viruses co-circulate.

Risk factors in dengue shock syndrome: a prospective epidemiologic study in rayong, thailand i. the 1980 outbreak

Abstract: In January 1980, the municipal area of Rayong, Thailand, and contiguous suburban villages were chosen for a long-term study on dengue epidemiology. From 3,185 children randomly sampled in schools and households, the population prevalence of neutralizing antibody to the four dengue serotypes was estimated. To estimate the incidence of infection with each dengue virus serotype (dengue seroconversions), first grade children were re-bled in January 1981 (cohort study). Children admitted to hospital were studied for dengue virus isolation and antibody responses in paired sera. An epidemic of dengue occurred in 1980. Plaque reduction neutralization tests of 1,009 pre-epidemic sera from children aged less than 1-10 years of age determined that 3.3% were immune to dengue 1, 13.2% to dengue 2, 6.4% to dengue 3, and 5.8% to dengue 4. Examination of pre- and post-epidemic cohort blood samples revealed that the incidence of dengue infection in 251 seronegative children was 39.4% (15.1% dengue 1, 11.1% dengue 2, 2.0% dengue 3, 4.8% dengue 4, and 6.4% two or more dengue viruses). Among the 52,935 residents of the study area, there were 22 cases of virologically and clinically confirmed dengue shock syndrome, in children 15 years or younger. All 22 shock syndrome cases had secondary type antibody responses. Eight of 22 had been included in the random serologic sample prior to onset of shock; five had been immune to dengue 1, two to dengue 3, one to dengue 4, and none to dengue 2. Despite the high rate of dengue 1 infections in 1980, only dengue 2 viruses were recovered from dengue shock syndrome cases, including two dengue 1 immune children with pre-illness serum specimens. Although the pre-epidemic prevalence of antibodies to dengue 1 was the lowest to any type, children with this immunologic background contributed disproportionately to shock cases. In descending order of magnitude, risk factors for dengue shock syndrome in Rayong were secondary infections with dengue 2 which followed primary infections with dengue 1, dengue 3, or dengue 4.