Molecular typing of dengue virus type 2 in Brazil

Abstract

Strain typing is a critical tool for molecular epidemiological analysis and can provide important information about the spread of dengue viruses. Here, we performed a molecular characterization of DEN-2 viruses isolated in Brazil during 1990-2000 from geographically and temporally distinct areas in order to investigate the genetic distribution of this serotype circulating in the country. Restriction site-specific polymerase chain reaction (RSS)-PCR presented the same pattern for all 52 Brazilian samples, showing the circulation of just one DEN-2 variant. Phylogenetic analysis using progressive pairwise alignments from 240-nucleotide sequences of the E/NS1 junction in 15 isolates showed that they belong to genotype III (Jamaica genotype).

Espirito Santo Virus: a New Birnavirus That Replicates in Insect Cells

“…For that purpose, a virulent strain of dengue virus type 2 was obtained from the Fiocruz Institute in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The strain, designated 44/2, originated from an isolate in the state of Espirito Santo, Brazil (22,36), from a patient with dengue fever. During the course of our experiments and with the improvement of dengue virus purification methods, we have observed by electron microscopy particles that had a structure completely different from that described for flaviviruses.…”

Molecular epidemiology of type 1 and 2 dengue viruses in Brazil from 1988 to 2001

“…Rico-Hesse et al (16) analyzed two DEN-2 viruses isolated in Venezuela and Colombia some time around 1987, and concluded that they belonged to the Southeast Asian genotype. In Brazil, this genotype was probably introduced either at the same time or at some point during 1988, like in other areas of the Americas (6,8,16,18,20,38,40).…”

“…Only two DEN-1 viruses isolated in Brazil in the mid-80's and 21 DEN-2 viruses isolated in the 90's have been previously studied regarding the E/NS1 junction region (6,16,20). Comparing all these sequences with others of different origins and genotypes it becomes clear that, in spite of the detection of new evolutionary mutations in the genome of Brazilian dengue viruses in the last 15 years, phylogenetic analysis did not identify the circulation of new genotypes for either DEN-1 or DEN-2 in our country.…”

“…About 80% of notified dengue cases in the Americas occurred in Brazil, and in the last years more than 1 million cases have been reported in all five Brazilian geographic regions (17). In spite of the importance of dengue as a serious public health problem in Brazil, only a few dengue viruses isolated from endemic regions have been analyzed with respect to genomic variability (6,7,9,16,(18)(19)(20).…”

<![CDATA[<B>Wild dengue virus types 1, 2 and 3 viremia in rhesus monkeys</B>]]>

“…The dose was calculated after serial dilution and plaquing on Vero cells (6.2 log 10 PFU/ml). Miagostovich et al 2003). It was isolated in C6/36 cells and at its third passage it was plaque purified in Vero cells.…”