Imported dengue from 2013 Angola outbreak: Not just serotype 1 was detected

Abstract

BACKGROUND:All the reports from Angola's 2013 dengue outbreak revealed serotype 1. However, previously dengue serotypes 1-4 have been reported in Africa and in 2014 serotype 4 was reported in Angola. OBJECTIVES:To report dengue serotypes in patients returning from Angola during 2013 outbreak. STUDY DESIGN:Retrospective, cross-sectional study. We serotyped the dengue by an in house Polymerase Chain Reaction technique in randomly selected cases. RESULTS:From the 2013 Angola's dengue outbreak we treated 47 adult patients. None had history of past dengue. A combo kit test for dengue revealed positive NS1 antigen in 39 and IgM antibodies in 8. From 17 randomly patients tested by RNA Real Time-PCR, 11 were positive: 7 for DENV-1, 2 for DENV-2, 1 for DENV-3 (co-infected with DENV-1) and 1 for DENV-4. None had a complicated or fatal evolution. CONCLUSION:Unlike previous reports the 4 serotypes were detected, and this resulted in a different epidemiological situation, raising the risk of future outbreaks of severe dengue.