title: Dengue hemorrhagic fever in Cuba, 1981: a retrospective seroepidemiologic study.
abstract: In Cuba, 2 epidemics of dengue virus occurred: 1 caused by DEN-1 in 1977 and 1 caused by DEN-2 in 1981. The latter was associated with cases of dengue hemorrhagic fever/dengue shock syndrome (DHF/DSS). To study viral risk factors for DHF/DSS, a retrospective seroepidemiological survey was conducted in Cerro, a densely populated district in Havana City. The prevalence of plaque reduction neutralizing antibodies to DEN-1 and DEN-2 viruses was measured in 1,295 individuals (children and adults). Of these, 43.7% were immune to DEN-1 virus and 23.6% to DEN-2 virus. Of those individuals who were immune, 26.1% were immune to DEN-1 virus only, 6% to DEN-2 virus only, and 17.6% to both viruses. The DEN-2 virus infection rate in DEN-1 immune individuals was 3.8 times higher than in non-immune individuals. The 5 DHF/DSS cases in the sample had evidence of DEN-1 virus plus DEN-2 virus infections. Three were children and 2 were young adults. No cases were found in individuals infected with DEN-1 virus or DEN-2 virus only. Children infected by DEN-1 virus followed by DEN-2 virus had a high risk of acquiring DHF/DSS. Blacks and whites were equally infected with DEN-1 and DEN-2 viruses.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Medicina Tropical Pedro Kouri, Habana, Cuba.
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Guzmán
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Kouri
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bravo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Soler
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vazquez
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Morier
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003462:Cuba / Q000453:epidemiology; D003715:Dengue / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003716:Dengue Virus / Q000276:immunology*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral