History, epidemiology and diagnostics of dengue in the American and Brazilian contexts: a review

• Published in: Parasites & vectors Vol. 11; no. 1; p. 264
• Main Authors: Salles, Tiago Souza, da Encarnação Sá-Guimarães, Thayane, de Alvarenga, Evelyn Seam Lima, Guimarães-Ribeiro, Victor, de Meneses, Marcelo Damião Ferreira, de Castro-Salles, Patricia Faria, Dos Santos, Carlucio Rocha, do Amaral Melo, Ana Claudia, Soares, Marcia Regina, Ferreira, Davis Fernandes, Moreira, Monica Ferreira
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 24-04-2018; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Americas - epidemiology; Care and treatment; Dengue; Dengue - diagnosis; Dengue - epidemiology; Dengue - history; Dengue - pathology; Dengue virus; Dengue Virus - isolation & purification; Dengue viruses; Diagnosis; Diagnostics of dengue; Epidemiologic methods; Epidemiology; History, 19th Century; History, 20th Century; History, 21st Century; Humans; Polymerase chain reaction; Review; Serotyping; Brazil; Dengue epidemiology; Diagnostics of dengue; Dengue history; Dengue virus; Serotyping
• ISSN: 1756-3305; 1756-3305
• DOI: 10.1186/s13071-018-2830-8

Dengue virus (DENV), an arbovirus transmitted by mosquitoes, has become a major threat to American human life, reaching approximately 23 million cases from 1980 to 2017. Brazil is among the countries most affected by this terrible viral disease, with 13.6 million cases. DENV has four different serotypes, DENV1-4, which show a broad clinical spectrum. Dengue creates a staggering epidemiological and economic burden for endemic countries. Without a specific therapy and with a commercial vaccine that presents some problems relative to its full effectiveness, initiatives to improve vector control strategies, early disease diagnostics and the development of vaccines and antiviral drugs are priorities. In this study, we present the probable origins of dengue in America and the trajectories of its spread. Overall, dengue diagnostics are costly, making the monitoring of dengue epidemiology more difficult and affecting physicians' therapeutic decisions regarding dengue patients, especially in developing countries. This review also highlights some recent and important findings regarding dengue in Brazil and the Americas. We also summarize the existing DENV polymerase chain reaction (PCR) diagnostic tests to provide an improved reference since these tests are useful and accurate at discriminating DENV from other flaviviruses that co-circulate in the Americas. Additionally, these DENV PCR assays ensure virus serotyping, enabling epidemiologic monitoring.