Molecular Characterization of Imported and Autochthonous Dengue in Northeastern Spain

Abstract

Dengue is the most significant arbovirus worldwide and a public health threat to non-endemic areas in which Aedes vectors are present. Autochthonous dengue transmission has been reported in several European countries in the last decade. Infected travelers from endemic regions arriving to areas colonized by Aedes albopictus in Europe need to be monitored in surveillance and control programs. We aimed to perform molecular characterization of RT-PCR-positive dengue cases detected in Catalonia, northeastern Spain, from 2013 to 2018. The basic demographic information and the geographical regions of importation were also analyzed. One-hundred four dengue cases were studied (103 imported infections and the first autochthonous case in our region). The dengue virus strains detected were serotyped and genotyped using molecular methods, and phylogenetic analyses were conducted. All four dengue serotypes were detected in travelers, including up to 10 different genotypes, reflecting the global circulation of dengue in endemic areas. The primary travel-related case of the 2018 autochthonous transmission was not identified, but the molecular analysis revealed dengue serotype 1, genotype I of Asian origin. Our results highlight the diversity of imported dengue virus strains and the role of molecular epidemiology in supporting arbovirus surveillance programs.

Molecular evolution of dengue virus: Bayesian approach considering 1,581 whole genome sequences from January 1944 to July 2022

“…Break-bone fever or "Quebranta huesos" was a popular name to describe the disease and was used by a doctor from Puerto Rico when he described a febrile illness in 1771 and 1801 the Queen of Spain, María Luisa de Parma, mentioned in a letter that she was suffering from a disease that caused bone and joint pain, presence of jaundice, hemorrhage, and fever. These symptoms are clinically consistent with those of dengue and this statement reinforces that the onset of dengue originated in Spain [19,20]. Stica et al, (2021) [21], used Bayesian evolutionary analyses and estimated the emergence of DENV1 in the 1660s, and the time of divergence of the other DENV-1 genotypes from the Malaysian wild isolate in 1886s [21].…”

“…DENV infections represent a major health and economic problem worldwide, and although most cases are asymptomatic or induce a mild degree of illness, the WHO estimates that around 500.000 people per year who develop severe dengue syndrome, need hospitalization [19,20]. With slave trade vessels and trade routes, the world's main urban vector of the DENV, A aegypti, originated in West Africa and arrived in Europe at the end of the 17th century [8].…”

Characterization of the microbiome ofAedes albopictuspopulations in different habitats from Spain and São Tomé: implications for vector control

“…Since then, the mosquito’s presence has proliferated across the country (Goiri et al, 2020) due to multiple introductions from abroad (Lucati et al, 2022). This expansion has escalated concerns among public health officials, emphasizing the need for increased surveillance and control measures (ECDC, 2019; Monge et al, 2020; Navero-Castillejos et al, 2021).…”

Preliminary results on an autochthonous dengue outbreak in Lombardy Region, Italy, August 2023

“…Dengue virus (DENV) infection has become a growing health concern worldwide [ 1 , 2 ]. In the last decades, few autochthonous cases and limited outbreaks have been reported in Europe [ 3 - 7 ]. Here, we describe an outbreak of six autochthonous dengue cases occurring in Lodi province, Lombardy Region in northern Italy in August 2023.…”