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A Murine Model of Dengue Virus-induced Acute Viral Encephalitis-like Disease
Published on: April 28, 2019
Lineage II of Southeast Asian/American DENV-2 is associated with a severe dengue outbreak in the Peruvian Amazon
Maya Williams1, Sandra V Mayer2, William L Johnson2
1Department of Virology, US Naval Medical Research Unit No. 6, Lima, Peru; Department of Pathology and Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas; Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico; Department of Virology, US Naval Medical Research Unit No. 6, Iquitos, Peru; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas; Dirección General de Epidemiología del Ministerio de Salud del Perú, Lima, Perú; Entomology Department, University of California, Davis, California; Institute for Human Infections and Immunity and Center for Tropical Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas maya.williams@med.navy.mil nivasila@utmb.edu.
Abstract:
During 2010 and 2011, the Loreto region of Peru experienced a dengue outbreak of unprecedented magnitude and severity for the region. This outbreak coincided with the reappearance of dengue virus-2 (DENV-2) in Loreto after almost 8 years. Whole-genome sequence indicated that DENV-2 from the outbreak belonged to lineage II of the southeast Asian/American genotype and was most closely related to viruses circulating in Brazil during 2007 and 2008, whereas DENV-2 previously circulating in Loreto grouped with lineage I (DENV-2 strains circulating in South America since 1990). One amino acid substitution (NS5 A811V) in the 2010 and 2011 isolates resulted from positive selection. However, the 2010 and 2011 DENV-2 did not replicate to higher titers in monocyte-derived dendritic cells and did not infect or disseminate in a higher proportion of Aedes aegypti than DENV-2 isolates previously circulating in Loreto. These results suggest that factors other than enhanced viral replication played a role in the severity of this outbreak.
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