Dengue hemorrhagic fever in infants: research opportunities ignored.
The age distribution of cases of dengue hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome (DHF/DSS) in infants under the age of 1 year are reported from Bangkok, Thailand, and for the first time for Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Yangon, Myanmar; and Surabaya, Indonesia. The four dengue viruses were isolated from Thai infants, all of whom were having a primary dengue infection. Progress studying the immunologically distinct infant DHF/DSS has been limited; most contemporary research has centered on DHF/DSS accompanying secondary dengue infections. In designing research results obtained in studies on a congruent animal model, feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV) infections of kittens born to FIPV-immune queens should be considered. Research challenges presented by infant DHF/DSS are discussed.
Halstead
Scott B
SB
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA. halsteads@erols.com
Lan
Nguyen Trong
NT
Myint
Thein Thein
TT
Shwe
Than Nu
TN
Nisalak
Ananda
A
Kalyanarooj
Siripen
S
Nimmannitya
Suchitra
S
Soegijanto
Soegeng
S
Vaughn
David W
DW
Endy
Timothy P
TP
D017677:Age Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003716:Dengue Virus / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007214:Indonesia / Q000453:epidemiology; D007223:Infant; D002052:Myanmar / Q000453:epidemiology; D012106:Research; D019595:Severe Dengue / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013785:Thailand / Q000453:epidemiology; D014744:Vietnam / Q000453:epidemiology