title: Molecular identification of the first local dengue fever outbreak in Shenzhen city, China: a potential imported vertical transmission from Southeast Asia?
abstract: A suspected dengue fever outbreak occurred in 2010 at a solitary construction site in Shenzhen city, China. To investigate this epidemic, we used serological, molecular biological, and bioinformatics techniques. Of nine serum samples from suspected patients, we detected seven positive for dengue virus (DENV) antibodies, eight for DENV-1 RNA, and three containing live viruses. The isolated virus, SZ1029 strain, was sequenced and confirmed as DENV-1, showing the highest E-gene homology to D1/Malaysia/36000/05 and SG(EHI)DED142808 strains recently reported in Southeast Asia. Further phylogenetic tree analysis confirmed their close relationship. At the epidemic site, we also detected 14 asymptomatic co-workers (out of 291) positive for DENV antibody, and DENV-1-positive mosquitoes. Thus, we concluded that DENV-1 caused the first local dengue fever outbreak in Shenzhen. Because no imported case was identified, the molecular fingerprints of the SZ1029 strain suggest this outbreak may be due to vertical transmission imported from Southeast Asia.
authors.affiliation: Shenzhen Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, China.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathogenic Organism, Fourth Military Medical University, Xian, China.
authors.forename: G Z
authors.initials: GZ
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Shenzhen Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, China.
authors.forename: J Q
authors.initials: JQ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Shenzhen Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, China.
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Shenzhen Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, China.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Shenzhen Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, China.
authors.forename: D N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Palmer Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology, Palmer College of Chiropractic - Florida, Port Orange, FL, USA.
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: Shenzhen Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, China.
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathogenic Organism, Fourth Military Medical University, Xian, China.
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.affiliation: Shenzhen Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, China.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D001210:Asia, Southeastern / Q000453:epidemiology; D001483:Base Sequence / Q000235:genetics; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003715:Dengue / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology; D003716:Dengue Virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D006801:Humans; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D010802:Phylogeny
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral