Epidemiological studies on dengue virus type 3 in Playa municipality, Havana, Cuba, 2001-2002

Recognizing the uniqueness of secondary dengue virus (DENV)-1/3 dengue hemorrhagic fever/dengue shock syndrome (DHF/DSS) cases at an interval of 24 years, we sought to estimate DENV infections as well as the ratios between mild disease and DHF/DSS by DENV infection sequence in Playa District (Havana, Cuba) during the 2001-2002 outbreak of dengue virus type 3 (DENV-3).

A retrospective seroepidemiological study was conducted in 2003 in Playa District. Blood samples were collected from a 1% random sample of residents and were studied for the prevalence of dengue neutralizing antibodies.

DENV-3 was found to have infected 7.2% (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 6.0-8.4%) of susceptible individuals (the entire cohort), the majority of whom experienced silent infections. Virtually every individual who had a secondary infection in the sequence DENV-1 then DENV-3 became ill, with a ratio of severe to mild cases of 1:35 (95% CI 1:67-1:23). Secondary infections in the sequence DENV-2/3 were less pathogenic than DENV-1/3. Mild disease accompanying secondary DENV2/3 occurred at a ratio of 1:4.49 infections (95% CI 1:5.77-1:3.42) secondary infections.

The results obtained highlight the role of the infecting serotype and also the sequence of the viral infection in the clinical outcome of a dengue infection.