Analysis of viral diversity of Dengue virus 1 and 2 following antibody neutralization by plasma from previously infected individuals

Abstract

Dengue fever is caused by four distinct serotypes of the dengue virus (DENV), which are transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. Approximately 390 million infections occur annually in tropical and subtropical countries. This infection is endemic in the northwest region of the State of São Paulo, with co-circulation of DENV1 and DENV2 serotypes. Around 25% of DENV infections progress to clinical manifestations, categorized as classic dengue or severe dengue. The primary factor leading to severe dengue is a secondary infection with a different DENV serotype. In RNA viruses like DENV, various subpopulations of similar but not identical genomes exist within the same host, called quasispecies. Previous studies showed that genomic diversity within the host is primarily observed in regions encoding viral envelope proteins. Therefore, we hypothesize that heterotypic antibodies may exert evolutionary pressure that worsens clinical outcomes in individuals infected with DENV by selecting quasispecies with best replication fitness. This project aims to investigate the selection of DENV strains influenced by antibodies present in the plasma of previously infected patients.