ORIGIN OF DENGUE TYPE 3 VIRUSES ASSOCIATED WITH THE DENGUE OUTBREAK IN DHAKA, BANGLADESH, IN 2000 AND 2001

• Published in: The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene Vol. 74; no. 2; pp. 263 - 265
• Main Authors: PODDER, GOUTAM, BREIMAN, ROBERT F, AZIM, TASNIM, THU, HLAING MYAT, VELATHANTHIRI, NILUKA, MAI, LE QUYNH, LOWRY, KYM, AASKOV, JOHN G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lawrence, KS ASTMH 01.02.2006; Allen Press
• Subjects: Bangladesh - epidemiology; Biological and medical sciences; Dengue - epidemiology; Dengue - virology; Dengue Virus - classification; Dengue Virus - isolation & purification; Disease Outbreaks; Humans; Infectious diseases; Medical sciences; Molecular Epidemiology; Phylogeny; Severe Dengue - epidemiology; Severe Dengue - virology; Asia; Bangladesh; Epidemic; Human; Dengue 3; Dengue; Dengue virus; Flavivirus; Infection; Virus; Viral disease; Dengue group virus; Arbovirus disease; Tropical medicine; Flaviviridae
• ISSN: 0002-9637; 1476-1645
• DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.2006.74.263

Dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever re-emerged in Bangladesh in 2000 and 2001 and nearly all viruses isolated were dengue type 3. Phylogenetic analyses of the envelope genes of examples of these viruses indicated that they were most closely related to recently emerged dengue type 3 viruses from neighboring Thailand and Myanmar but distinct from those from India and Sri Lanka. Since this strain of dengue virus type 3 had not been associated with unusual patterns of disease in Thailand or Myanmar, it suggested that the outbreak in Bangladesh was due to local factors after the introduction of viruses from countries to the east rather than to the evolution of an unusually virulent strain of virus in Bangladesh.