Detection of dengue virus in sera of Brazilian blood donors.
BACKGROUND
Dengue is the most important arboviral disease in the world. Dengue viruses (DENVs) have produced huge outbreaks in Brazil in the past 25 years with more than 5 million reported cases. During these epidemics, asymptomatic individuals infected with DENV could donate blood and serve as a source of virus dissemination in the community. Here, we studied the circulation of DENV in healthy individuals during an epidemic outbreak.


METHODS
The study included 500 serum samples from healthy blood donors collected at the Hemotherapy Center of Ribeirão Preto, Brazil, during a dengue outbreak. The presence of DENV RNA in the serum samples was screened by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The virus serotype was determined by a heminested PCR procedure. A partial fragment of the NS5 gene sequence was used for phylogenetic analysis.


RESULTS
DENV RNA was detected in the serum sample of 2 of 500 (0.4%) individuals. Both of them were infected with DENV-3 Genotype III, a virus that has been circulating in Brazil in the past decade.


CONCLUSIONS
Individuals with asymptomatic DENV infection can be blood donors and serve as a source of virus dissemination in the community. Further studies are needed to determine the risk of recipient infection by DENV as a result of transfusion in Brazil, especially during epidemic periods.
Virology Research Center, School of Medicine of tRibeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Leny Lobo
LL
Dias
Alberto Anastacio
AA
Amarilla
Telma Regina
TR
Poloni
Dimas Tadeu
DT
Covas
Victor Hugo
VH
Aquino
Luiz Tadeu Moraes
LT
Figueiredo
D058070:Asymptomatic Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D001782:Blood Donors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003715:Dengue / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D003716:Dengue Virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious / Q000517:prevention & control; D058872:Epidemics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D012307:Risk Factors
D012367:RNA, Viral