Abstract

Dengue virus (DENV) is one of the most prevalent neglected tropical diseases, with half of the world’s population at risk of infection. In Nepal, DENV was first reported in 2004, and its prevalence is increasing every year. The present study aimed to obtain and characterize the full-length genome sequence of DENV from the 2017 outbreak. Hospital-based surveillance was conducted in two provinces of Nepal during the outbreak. Acute-phase serum samples were collected from 141 clinically suspected dengue patients after the rainy season. By serological and molecular techniques, 37 (26.9%) and 49 (34.8%), respectively, were confirmed as dengue patients. The cosmopolitan genotype of DENV-2 was isolated from 27 laboratory-confirmed dengue patients. Genomic analysis showed many amino acid substitutions distributed mainly among the E, NS3, and NS5 genes. Phylogenetic analyses of the whole genome sequence revealed two clades (Asian and Indian) among DENV-2 isolates from Nepal. The DENV isolates from hilly and Terai areas were similar to Asian and Indian strains, respectively. Further genomic study on different DENV serotypes is warranted to understand DENV epidemics in Nepal, where there are limited scientific resources and infrastructure.

Highlights

  • Dengue virus (DENV) is an emerging mosquito-borne arboviral infection endemic in urban and suburban areas of tropical and subtropical countries globally [1]

  • We report the isolation and complete genome analysis of DENV-2 strains isolated from serum samples during the 2017 outbreak in Nepal

  • DENV-2 strains circulating in different parts of the world to determine the genetic relationships

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Summary

Introduction

Dengue virus (DENV) is an emerging mosquito-borne arboviral infection endemic in urban and suburban areas of tropical and subtropical countries globally [1]. It is transmitted to humans by the bite of infected female mosquitoes, mainly Aedes aegypti and A. albopictus. DENV causes a wide spectrum of disease severity, ranging from flu-like illness (dengue with and without warning signs) to life-threatening conditions known as severe dengue [2]. The four serotypes of DENV (DENV1, DENV-2, DENV3, and DENV4), which belong to the genus Flavivirus of the family Flaviviridae, are antigenically and genetically distinct. Infection with one of these DENV serotypes provides lifelong immunity to that particular serotype only [3]. When the same person obtains a second DENV infection from a different serotype, it can lead to severe dengue with dengue hemorrhagic fever/dengue shock

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