Recent advances on pathogenesis, diagnosis, prevention, immunological aspects, and vectors of dengue: A review

Abstract

Dengue is a vector-borne disease caused by the dengue virus (DENV) of family Flaviviridae. Dengue fever is common in both developed and developing countries. Globally, approximately 400 million cases of dengue fever are reported annually, resulting in approximately 22000 fatalities. Dengue cases in India have progressively increased in the last decade. In recent years, substantial progress has been made in understanding various aspects of dengue, including its pathogenesis, diagnosis, prevention strategies, immunological responses, and the role of vectors in its transmission. The transmission of a positive RNA virus occurs through Aedes mosquitoes, specifically Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. This virus is associated with a wide spectrum of symptoms, ranging from mild undifferentiated fever to severe hemorrhagic fever and shock, posing a potential threat to human health. There are 4 types of antigenically distinct dengue serotypes (DENV-1 to DENV-4) and among them, DENV-2 is more lethal and extremely severe. To overcome the severity of dengue, Dengvaxia is administered to children 9 to 16 years old with evidence of previous dengue infection. The diagnosis of dengue is carried out by ELISA-based non-structural protein (NS1) and immunoglobulin tests. However, there are no specific biomarkers to identify severe disease progression. Climatic factors and temperature play an important role in complex interaction among host, vector, and virus to manifest the severity of dengue. There is a need for the refinement of climate-based disease forecasting models in India to effectively control the spread of dengue. The mosquito repellent should be used periodically to kill or repel the Aedes mosquito to prevent the spread of dengue in humans.

Keywords

• dengue; aedes mosquitoes; insecticide; ns1; immunoglobulin