[Subtypes of dengue virus serotypes 2, 3 and 4 isolated in Santander District, Colombia]

Virus serotypes 2, 3 and 4 that had circulated in Santander District, Colombia in the period 1998-2004 were analyzed. Identifying the subtype of a dengue virus serotype is a useful tool for surveillance of severe risk factors because the strain potential to cause hemorrhagic dengue makes the difference among them. Simultaneous sequence amplification technique known as restriction site specific-polymerase chain reaction (RSS-PCR) was used to determine the subtype by comparing the electrophoretic pattern of the local isolate to the reference virus. Virus serotype 2 corresponded to subtype A similar to the one isolated in Thailand (1996) and to the other isolated in Porto Rico (1986); virus serotypes 3 were of subtype C like the virus found in Sri Lanka (1990), Honduras (1995) and Porto Rico (2000); virus serotypes 4 were a variant of subtype B similar to a virus from Porto Rico (1987) and to another virus from Tahiti (1985). The study confirmed the presence in Colombia of dengue virus subtypes circulating now in the Americas.