Dengue and Flavivirus Co-Infections: Challenges in Diagnosis, Treatment, and Disease Management

Co-infections of dengue serotypes and dengue with other flaviviruses pose substantial hurdles in disease diagnosis, treatment options, and disease management. The overlapping geographic distributions and mosquito vectors significantly enhance the probability of co-infections. Co-infections may result in more severe disease outcomes due to elevated viral loads, modulation of the immune response, and antibody enhancement. Cross-reactivity in serological assays and the likeness of clinical presentations add to the ongoing challenges in disease diagnosis. Molecular diagnostics such as reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and next-generation sequencing (NGS) are, therefore, employed for more specific disease diagnosis although requiring substantial resources. Despite the advancements, specific anti-flaviviral therapy is still limited, hence the urgency for further investigative research into various therapeutic approaches, including peptide inhibitors, host-targeted therapies, and RNA-based interventions. This review discusses the epidemiology, clinical ramifications, and diagnostic obstacles associated with flavivirus co-infections whilst assessing prospective strategies for better disease prevention, treatment, and management. Addressing these critical gaps is essential for disease mitigation whilst improving patient management especially in regions where co-circulation of flaviviruses is common and their diseases are highly endemic.