title: [Molecular and serological diagnosis of a dengue outbreak in Coro, Falcón state, Venezuela].
abstract: Dengue virus (DV) is responsible for a spectrum of diseases, from a self-limited fever disease (DF, dengue fever) to the more severe forms of hemorrhagic fever/dengue shock syndrome (DHF/DSS). The aim of this study was the serological and molecular confirmation of an outbreak of dengue in Falcon state, Venezuela. A total of 54 sera from patients with clinical diagnosis of DV infection were analyzed by an enzyme immunoassays developed in Venezuela (ELISA -IgM e -IgG) and by PCR. From them, 78% exhibited DV infection (PCR+ y/o IgM+), 48% exhibited viremia by PCR and 57% were positive to IgM. An interesting observation was the high percent (76%) of patients with past or secondary infection (IgG positive), which included all the patients exhibiting clinical symptoms of DHF (n = 8). From the PCR positive sera, serotype 1 was found in 27%, serotype 2 in 54% and serotype 4 in 19%. No serotype 3 was found circulating in this population, although this serotype was already circulating in the nearby island of Aruba. The combination of serological and molecular methods allow us to obtain a fairly precise information of this outbreak.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Biología de Virus, Centro de Microbiología y Biología Celular, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas, Caracas, Venezuela.
authors.forename: Zoila Caridad
authors.initials: ZC
authors.lastname: Moros
authors.forename: María Jesús
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Abad
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arsenak
authors.forename: Dilia
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.forename: Maria Magdalena
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Cierco
authors.forename: Asunta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Costagliola
authors.forename: Leyda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Urbina
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Ferdinando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liprandi
authors.forename: Flor Helene
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Pujol
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003715:Dengue / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003716:Dengue Virus / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012703:Serotyping; D014687:Venezuela / Q000453:epidemiology; D014766:Viremia / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M