Uncovering the Burden of Dengue in Africa: Considerations on Magnitude, Misdiagnosis, and Ancestry.

Emily Mary Gainor,A Desiree Labeaud,Eva Harris

doi:10.3390/v14020233

Emily Mary Gainor, A Desiree Labeaud + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/v14020233

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Journal: Viruses	Publication Date: Jan 25, 2022
Citations: 39	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: University of California, Berkeley, Stanford University

Abstract

Dengue is a re-emerging neglected disease of major public health importance. This review highlights important considerations for dengue disease in Africa, including epidemiology and underestimation of disease burden in African countries, issues with malaria misdiagnosis and co-infections, and potential evidence of genetic protection from severe dengue disease in populations of African descent. The findings indicate that dengue virus prevalence in African countries and populations may be more widespread than reported data suggests, and that the Aedes mosquito vectors appear to be increasing in dissemination and number. Changes in climate, population, and plastic pollution are expected to worsen the dengue situation in Africa. Dengue misdiagnosis is also a problem in Africa, especially due to the typical non-specific clinical presentation of dengue leading to misdiagnosis as malaria. Finally, research suggests that a protective genetic component against severe dengue exists in African descent populations, but further studies should be conducted to strengthen this association in various populations, taking into consideration socioeconomic factors that may contribute to these findings. The main takeaway is that Africa should not be overlooked when it comes to dengue, and more attention and resources should be devoted to this disease in Africa.

Highlights

Dengue is a re-emerging and neglected infectious disease of great public health importance [1]
The United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that forty percent of the globe’s inhabitants live in areas where dengue acquisition is a risk, and up to 400 million people are infected with dengue virus (DENV) every year, 50–100 million people get sick, and 20,000 people die from severe dengue [2,3]
Studies were deemed irrelevant if they did not focus on dengue in Africa, on dengue severity based on host ancestry or genetics, or on dengue and malaria misdiagnosis or Plasmodium spp./DENV co-infection

Summary

Introduction

Dengue is a re-emerging and neglected infectious disease of great public health importance [1]. The United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that forty percent of the globe’s inhabitants live in areas where dengue acquisition is a risk, and up to 400 million people are infected with dengue virus (DENV) every year, 50–100 million people get sick, and 20,000 people die from severe dengue [2,3]. In Africa estimates from 2010 suggest that there were. 15.7 million apparent DENV infections (any disease severity level), and 48.4 million inapparent infections during the year [5]. Dengue exists in sylvatic cycles in African forests between mosquitoes and non-human primates, and while spillover can occur, it is not considered to be common [6]. Besides humans in Africa, DENV has been observed to infect nonhuman primates ( monkeys), domestic mammals, birds, and even a buffalo [6]

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