Dengue-yellow fever sera cross-reactivity; challenges for diagnosis.
OBJECTIVE
The Flavivirus genera share epitopes inducing cross-reactive antibodies leading to great difficulty in differentially diagnosing flaviviral infections. This work was aimed at evaluating the complexity of dengue and yellow fever serological differential diagnosis.


METHODS
Dengue antibody capture ELISA and a yellow fever neutralisation test were carried out on 13 serum samples obtained from yellow fever patients, 20 acute serum samples from dengue patients and 19 voluntary serum samples pre- and post-vaccination with YF vaccine.


RESULTS
Dengue ELISA revealed IgM reactivity in 46,2 % of yellow fever patients and 42 % of vaccinees. Sixteen out of 20 dengue patients (80 %) had high YF virus neutralisation titres.


CONCLUSIONS
Such very high cross-reactivity data challenged differential laboratory diagnosis of dengue and yellow fever in areas where both flaviviruses co-circulate. New laboratory strategies are thus needed for improving the tests and providing a specific laboratory diagnosis. Cross-reactivity between Flaviviruses represents a great difficulty for epidemiological surveillance and preventing dengue, both of which demand urgent attention.
Houghton-Triviño
Natalia
N
Instituto de Virología, Universidad El Bosque, Bogota, Colombia.
Montaña
Diana
D
Castellanos
Jaime
J
D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D003429:Cross Reactions; D003715:Dengue / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005416:Flavivirus / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000276:immunology; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D015004:Yellow Fever / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D022341:Yellow Fever Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D022341:Yellow Fever Vaccine