First autochthonous cases, caused by the Dengue-3 serotype in Federal District, Brazil
Teixeira, J.M.S.; Chaib, A.J.M.; Silva, H.P.; Souza, J.L.; Molez, J.F.; Degallier, N.
Bulletin de la Societe de Pathologie Exotique 99(2): 85-89
2006
ISSN/ISBN: 0037-9085 PMID: 16821435 Document Number: 602269
During the first 4 months of 2003, the survey laboratory of the Federal District (LACEN Laboratory of Virology) in Brasilia, Brazil, isolated 10 strains of dengue virus serotype 3; five of them were autochronous, and the remaining ones were from cases imported from Tocantins, Goias and Bahia states. Virus isolation was performed in C6136 cell culture inoculated with total blood collected between the first and the fifth days after the onset of symptoms. The age of the patients varied from 26 to 59 years old. The strains were typed as DEN-3 by indirect immunofluorescence assay using serotype-specific monoclonal antibodies. Viral RNAs were extracted from total blood using the trizol method. The nested RT-PCR method detected DNA products of 290 bp, confirming the serotype identifications. The introduction of DEN-3 in Brazil and especially in the Federal District represents a serious threat, since most people are susceptible to this serotype and many have already been infected by serotypes DEN-1 and DEN-2, thus increasing the risk of epidemic of more severe forms of the disease. The use of a fast and reliable method for continuous monitoring of the circulation of this serotype is of primary importance for the prevention and control of future epidemics.