Dengue Fever Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Dengue Fever, including details on symptoms, risk factors, diagnosis, treatment, prevention.

Virus evolution during a severe dengue epidemic in Cuba, 1997.

Rodriguez-Roche R, Alvarez M, Gritsun T, Halstead S, Kouri G, Gould EA, Guzman MG

Department of Virology, PAHO/WHO Collaborating Center for Viral Diseases, Pedro Kourí Tropical Medicine Institute, Autopista Novia del Mediodía, Km 6, PO Box 601, Marianao 13, Havana, Cuba.

Full-length genomic sequences from six DENV-2 isolates sampled at different times during a dengue outbreak that occurred in Cuba in 1997 were determined. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that these isolates fall into the "American/Asian" genotype. Genome analysis revealed strong conservation of the structural proteins and the non-coding regions (5' NCR and 3' NCR). Nucleotide substitutions were observed in non-structural genes and most notably in the NS5 gene. There was a clear pattern of virus evolution during the epidemic; the earliest isolates sampled differed from those sampled later by amino acid replacements in the NS1 and NS5 proteins, although there was no evidence that these represented escape mutants. Further studies are therefore required to define the functional role of amino acid replacements observed and their possible relation to disease severity.

Published 22 March 2005 in Virology, 334(2): 154-9.
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