Lineage II of Southeast Asian/American DENV-2 is Associated with a Severe Dengue Outbreak in the Peruvian Amazon

• Main Authors: Williams, M., Mayer, S. V., Johnson, W. L., Chen, R., Volkova, E., Vilcarromero, S., Widen, S. G., Wood, T. G., Suarez Ognio, L., Long, K. C., Hanley, K. A., Morrison, A. C., Vasilakis, N., Halsey, E. S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 2014
• Subjects: Dengue; Amazonas; Outbreak; DENV-2
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10757/605309; http://repositorioacademico.upc.edu.pe/upc/handle/10757/605309

During 2010 and 2011, the Loreto region of Peru experienced a dengue outbreak of unprecedented magnitude and severity for the region. This outbreak coincided with the reappearance of dengue virus-2 (DENV-2) in Loreto after almost 8 years. Whole-genome sequence indicated that DENV-2 from the outbreak belonged to lineage II of the southeast Asian/American genotype and was most closely related to viruses circulating in Brazil during 2007 and 2008, whereas DENV-2 previously circulating in Loreto grouped with lineage I (DENV-2 strains circulating in South America since 1990). One amino acid substitution (NS5 A811V) in the 2010 and 2011 isolates resulted from positive selection. However, the 2010 and 2011 DENV-2 did not replicate to higher titers in monocyte-derived dendritic cells and did not infect or disseminate in a higher proportion of Aedes aegypti than DENV-2 isolates previously circulating in Loreto. These results suggest that factors other than enhanced viral replication played a role in the severity of this outbreak.