Dengue fever and dengue virus in the People's Republic of China

• Published in: Reviews in medical virology Vol. 32; no. 1; pp. e2245 - n/a
• Main Authors: Wu, Tiantian, Wu, Zhongdao, Li, Yi‐Ping
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Wiley Periodicals Inc 01.01.2022
• Subjects: Aedes mosquitoes; Aquatic insects; Dengue fever; Dengue hemorrhagic fever; dengue virus (DENV); Epidemics; epidemiology; Fever; genotype; Genotypes; Infectious diseases; Insect control; Mosquitoes; Public awareness; Public health; Sanitation; serotype; Serotypes; vector control; Vector-borne diseases; World population; China; Aedes mosquitoes; epidemiology; dengue virus (DENV); serotype; vector control; genotype
• ISSN: 1052-9276; 1099-1654
• DOI: 10.1002/rmv.2245

Summary Infection with dengue virus (DENV) leads to symptoms variable from dengue fever to severe dengue, which has posed a huge socioeconomic and disease burden to the world population, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions. To date, four serotypes of DENV (DENV‐1 to DENV‐4) have been identified to sustain the transmission cycle in humans. In the past decades, dengue incidences have become more frequent, and four serotypes and various genotypes have been identified in PR China. Several large‐scale dengue outbreaks and frequent local endemics occurred in the southern and coastal provinces, and the imported dengue cases accounted primarily for the initiation of the epidemics. No antiviral drug exists for dengue, and no vaccine has been approved to use in PR China, however strategies including public awareness, national reporting system of infectious diseases and public health emergencies, vector mosquito control, personal protection, and improved environmental sanitation have greatly reduced dengue prevalence. Some new technologies in vector mosquito control are emerging and being applied for dengue control. China’s territory spans tropical, subtropical, and temperate climates, hence understanding the dengue status in China will be of beneficial for the global prevention and control of dengue. Here, we review the dengue status in PR China for the past decades and the strategies emerging for dengue control.