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Dengue fever virus
Last reviewed: 06.07.2025
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There are two independent clinical forms of this disease.
- Dengue fever, characterized by high temperature, severe pain in muscles and joints, as well as leukopenia and the formation of lymphadenitis. Pain in joints and muscles forces the patient to change his gait, which is what determined the name of the disease (English dandy - dandy).
- Dengue hemorrhagic fever, which in addition to fever is characterized by severe hemorrhagic diarrhea, shock and high mortality.
The causative agent of dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever is the same virus, which was isolated and studied in 1945 by A. Sebin. This virus is similar to other flaviviruses in many ways. It has a spherical shape, the diameter of the virion is about 50 nm, on the surface of the supercapsid there are protrusions 6-10 nm long. The virus is pathogenic for newborn mice when infected inside the brain and in the abdominal cavity, as well as for monkeys; it reproduces in cultures of some transplantable cells. It has hemagglutinating properties. It is sensitive to high temperatures (quickly inactivated at 56 ° C), ether, formalin and other disinfectants, but is preserved for a long time in a lyophilized state and at a temperature of -70 "C.
Based on antigenic properties, there are 4 serotypes (I-IV), which are easily differentiated using a neutralization reaction.
[ Pathogenesis and symptoms of Dengue fever
The pathogenesis of the disease is based on the violation of vascular permeability. As a result of the leakage of water, electrolytes and part of the plasma proteins, shock may occur. Hemorrhagic phenomena occur due to thrombocytopenia and defects of the blood coagulation system.
The hemorrhagic form of dengue fever, according to modern data, occurs with repeated infection after several months or years of people who previously suffered from dengue, and necessarily with a different serotype. In this case, vascular permeability disorders, activation of complement and other blood systems are possible as a consequence of the damaging effect of the immune response. The dengue virus multiplies in various organs, but most intensively in the cells of the macrophage-monocyte system. Macrophages infected with the virus synthesize and secrete a factor that changes the permeability of blood vessels; enzymes that act on the C3 component of complement, the blood coagulation system, etc. All this affects the pathogenesis of the disease and the clinical picture of dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever, which is characterized by wide variability.
The main difference between hemorrhagic fever and dengue fever is the development of dengue shock syndrome, which is the main cause of high mortality, sometimes reaching 30-50%.
Epidemiology of Dengue Fever
The only reservoir of the virus is a human, and the main carrier of the virus is the Aedes aegypti mosquito, sometimes A. albopictus. Therefore, the areas of dengue fever outbreaks coincide with the ranges of these mosquitoes: tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, Asia, America and Australia. There is information about the existence of a jungle variant of dengue fever in Malaysia, where the carrier of the virus is the A. niveus mosquito, but this form is of no significant epidemiological significance. The main role is played by the urban form of dengue fever. Epidemics of urban dengue fever in certain endemic areas are observed regularly and affect a large number of people.
Diagnosis of Dengue Fever
To diagnose dengue fever, biological (intracerebral infection of 1-2-day-old white mice), virological (infection of cell cultures) and serological methods are used. The increase in the titer of virus-specific antibodies is determined in paired sera using RPGA, RSK, RN, IFM.