title: First evidence of simultaneous circulation of three different dengue virus serotypes in Africa.
abstract: Gabon, in Central Africa, was affected for the first time in 2007 and then in 2010 by simultaneous outbreaks of chikungunya and Dengue serotype 2 (DENV-2) viruses. Through the national surveillance of dengue-like syndromes between 2007 and 2010, we observed continuous circulation of DENV-2 in a southward movement. This rapid spread of DENV-2 was associated with the emergence of DENV-1 in 2007 and DENV-3 in 2010. Interestingly, we detected six DENV-2 infected patients with hemorrhagic signs during the second outbreak in 2010. Although these cases do not meet all standard WHO criteria for severe Dengue with hemorrhage (formerly DHF), this is the first report of several dengue fever cases associated with hemorrhagic signs during a simultaneous circulation of different DENV serotypes in Africa. Together, these findings suggest that DENV is becoming more widely established on this continent and that DHF will likely become a serious public-health problem in the near future.
authors.affiliation: Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), Franceville, Gabon ; Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD), Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caron
authors.forename: Gilda
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Grard
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Paupy
authors.forename: Illich Mamfred
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Mombo
authors.forename: Branly
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bikie Bi Nso
authors.forename: Fabrice Roland
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Kassa Kassa
authors.forename: Dieudonne
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nkoghe
authors.forename: Eric Maurice
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Leroy
mesh_terms: D000349:Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D003715:Dengue / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003716:Dengue Virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006801:Humans; D010802:Phylogeny; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction