Background: Dengue fever/dengue haemorrhagic fever is prevalent in Thailand, where all serotypes are found and the dominant serotype has changed irregularly. Although almost all primary infections present with slight symptoms or are asymptomatic, little is known about the infectiousness of dengue fever. Methodology: A mathematical model of the transmission for dengue virus was constructed covering the possibility of sequential infections with all four different serotypes. The model was combined with the seasonal population dynamics of Aedes aegypti, the principal vectors of dengue virus in Thailand. The contributions of inapparent cases in the transmission to mosquito vectors and antibody-dependent enhancement were incorporated into the model. Moreover, the hypothesis of an "unnatural" infection route was examined, where a person acquires immunity by infection during a cross-immunity period, through model simulations. Results: A comparative study on the transmission probabilities of inapparent cases to mosquito vectors showed that the prevalence of dengue infection could be immediately stamped out after a severe outbreak if inapparent cases had no infectiousness. The simulation under an "unnatural" infection route assumption resulted of yearly changes in the dominant serotype and sharp, irregular variations in outbreaks. Conclusion: The supposition that inapparent cases had no infectiousness was not in accord with the actual situation in Thailand. Furthermore, the simulation result supported the "unnatural" infection route as having an influence on epidemics of dengue.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2025 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.