Phylogenetic Reconstructions Reveal the Circulation of a Novel Dengue Virus-1V Clade and the Persistence of a Dengue Virus-2 III Genotype in Northeast Brazil

• Published in: Viruses Vol. 15; no. 5; p. 1073
• Main Authors: Fritsch, Hegger, Moreno, Keldenn, Lima, Italo Andrade Barbosa, Santos, Cleiton Silva, Costa, Bernardo Gratival Gouvea, de Almeida, Breno Lima, Dos Santos, Ronald Alves, Francisco, Marcos Vinicius Lima de Oliveira, Sampaio, Maria Paula Souza, de Lima, Maricelia Maia, Pereira, Felicidade Mota, Fonseca, Vagner, Tosta, Stephane, Xavier, Joilson, de Oliveira, Carla, Adelino, Talita, de Mello, Arabela Leal E Silva, Gräf, Tiago, Alcantara, Luiz Carlos Junior, Giovanetti, Marta, de Siqueira, Isadora Cristina
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 28.04.2023; MDPI
• Subjects: Brazil - epidemiology; Causes of; Dengue; Dengue - epidemiology; Dengue fever; Dengue Virus - genetics; Dengue viruses; DENV; Distribution; Epidemics; Epidemiology; Genetic aspects; Genetic Variation; Genomes; genomic surveillance; Genotype; Genotype & phenotype; Genotypes; Humans; Identification and classification; Laboratories; Membrane proteins; Mutation; northeast Brazil; Pathogens; phylodynamics; Phylogenetics; Phylogeny; Public health; Risk factors; RNA polymerase; RNA, Viral - genetics; Virus research; Viruses; Whole genome sequencing; Brazil; northeast Brazil; phylodynamics; DENV; Dengue fever; genomic surveillance
• ISSN: 1999-4915; 1999-4915
• DOI: 10.3390/v15051073

Dengue fever is among the most significant public health concerns in Brazil. To date, the highest number of Dengue notifications in the Americas has been reported in Brazil, with cases accounting for a total number of 3,418,796 reported cases as of mid-December 2022. Furthermore, the northeastern region of Brazil registered the second-highest incidence of Dengue fever in 2022. Due to the alarming epidemiological scenario, in this study, we used a combination of portable whole-genome sequencing, phylodynamic, and epidemiological analyses to reveal a novel DENV-1 genotype V clade and the persistence of DENV-2 genotype III in the region. We further report the presence of non-synonymous mutations associated with non-structural domains, especially the NS2A (non-structural protein 2A), as well as describe synonymous mutations in envelope and membrane proteins, distributed differently between clades. However, the absence of clinical data at the time of collection and notification, as well as the impossibility of monitoring patients in order to observe worsening or death, restricts our possibility of correlating mutational findings with possible clinical prognoses. Together, these results reinforce the crucial role of genomic surveillance to follow the evolution of circulating DENV strains and understand their spread across the region through inter-regional importation events, likely mediated by human mobility, and also the possible impacts on public health and outbreak management.