title: Epidemiology and characteristics of the dengue outbreak in Guangdong, Southern China, in 2014.
abstract: Dengue is a rapidly spreading mosquito-borne disease caused by the dengue virus (DENV) and has emerged as a severe public health problem around the world. Guangdong, one of the southern Chinese provinces, experienced a serious outbreak of dengue in 2014, which was believed to be the worst dengue epidemic in China over the last 20 years. To better understand the epidemic, we collected the epidemiological data of the outbreak and analyzed 14,594 clinically suspected dengue patients from 25 hospitals in Guangdong. Dengue cases were then laboratory-confirmed by the detection of DENV non-structural protein 1 (NS1) antigen and/or DENV RNA. Afterwards, clinical manifestations of dengue patients were analyzed and 93 laboratory-positive serum specimens were chosen for the DENV serotyping and molecular analysis. Our data showed that the 2014 dengue outbreak in Guangdong had spread to 20 cities and more than 45 thousand people suffered from dengue fever. Of 14,594 participants, 11,387 were definitively diagnosed. Most manifested with a typical non-severe clinical course, and 1.96 % developed to severe dengue. The strains isolated successfully from the serum samples were identified as DENV-1. Genetic analyses revealed that the strains were classified into genotypes I and V of DENV-1, and the dengue epidemic of Guangdong in 2014 was caused by indigenous cases and imported cases from the neighboring Southeast Asian countries of Malaysia and Singapore. Overall, our study is informative and significant to the 2014 dengue outbreak in Guangdong and will provide crucial implications for dengue prevention and control in China and elsewhere.
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510120, People's Republic of China.|Department of Clinical Laboratory, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510120, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510120, People's Republic of China.|Department of Clinical Laboratory, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510120, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510120, People's Republic of China.|Medical Research Center, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510120, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510120, People's Republic of China.|Department of Clinical Laboratory, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510120, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Laboratory Medicine Center, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510515, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510120, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ke
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Guangdong General Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Guangzhou First Municipal People's Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical College, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510180, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First People's Hospital of Foshan, Foshan, Guangdong, 528000, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Laboratory Medicine Center, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510515, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Guangdong No.2 Provincial People's Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510317, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Zhanjiang Center People's Hospital, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, 524037, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Luohu District Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518020, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhuo
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shantou Central Hospital, Shantou, Guangdong, 515021, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Zhuhai People's Hospital, Zhuhai Hospital of Jinan University, Zhuhai, Guangdong, 522000, China.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, 12th Guangzhou People's Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510420, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bao
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Guangzhou Xinhai Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510300, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Diagnosis, Sun Yat-sen University Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhongshan, Guangdong, 528403, China.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Zhaoqing People's Hospital, Zhaoqing, Guangdong, 526040, China.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Qingyuan People's Hospital, Qingyuan, Guangdong, 511518, China.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Dongguan People's Hospital, Dongguan, Guangdong, 523059, China.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Chaozhou Central Hospital, Chaozhou, Guangdong, 521021, China.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Maoming People's Hospital, Maoming, Guangdong, 525000, China.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Jieyang People's Hospital, Jieyang, Guangdong, 522000, China.
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Heyuan People's Hospital, Heyuan, Guangdong, 517000, China.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Huizhou First Municipal People's Hospital, Huizhou, Guangdong, 516003, China.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shaoguan People's Hospital, Shaoguan, Guangdong, 512000, China.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Yunfu People's Hospital, Yunfu, Guangdong, 527300, China.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanwei Yihui Foundation Hospital, Shanwei, Guangdong, 516600, China.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510120, People's Republic of China.|Department of Clinical Laboratory, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510120, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510120, People's Republic of China.|Department of Clinical Laboratory, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510120, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510120, People's Republic of China.|Department of Clinical Laboratory, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510120, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510120, People's Republic of China.|Department of Clinical Laboratory, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510120, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510120, People's Republic of China.|Department of Clinical Laboratory, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510120, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510120, People's Republic of China.|Department of Clinical Laboratory, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510120, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61802, USA.
authors.forename: G W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510120, People's Republic of China. 1725012289@qq.com.|Department of Clinical Laboratory, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510120, People's Republic of China. 1725012289@qq.com.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Duan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D009033:Culicidae / Q000821:virology; D003715:Dengue / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology; D003716:Dengue Virus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: C082515:NS1 protein, dengue-1 virus; D012367:RNA, Viral; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins