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Dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever
(DHF) are caused by one of four closely related, but antigenically
distinct, virus serotypes (DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3, and DEN-4),
of the genus Flavivirus . Infection with one of
these serotypes does not provide cross-protective immunity,
so persons living in a dengue-endemic area can have four
dengue infections during their lifetimes. Dengue is primarily
a disease of the tropics, and the viruses that cause it are
maintained in a cycle that involves humans and Aedes
aegypti , a domestic, day-biting mosquito that prefers
to feed on humans. Infection with dengue viruses produces
a spectrum of clinical illness ranging from a nonspecific
viral syndrome to severe and fatal hemorrhagic disease. Important
risk factors for DHF include the strain and serotype of the
infecting virus, as well as the age, immune status, and genetic
predisposition of the patient.
(source:CDC
Dengue Fever Home Page) |
