Surveillance for Flaviviruses Near the Mexico–U.S. Border: Co-circulation of Dengue Virus Serotypes 1, 2, and 3 and West Nile Virus in Tamaulipas, Northern Mexico, 2014–2016

Abstract

A clinical, serological, and molecular investigation was performed to determine the presence of dengue virus (DENV) and other flaviviruses among residents of the city of Reynosa, Tamaulipas, on the Mexico-U.S. border in 2014-2016. The sample population consisted of 2,355 patients with suspected dengue, in addition to 346 asymptomatic individuals recruited during a household-based epidemiological investigation designed to identify flavivirus seroconversions. Sera were collected from patients with suspected dengue in the acute phase of illness and from asymptomatic individuals at enrollment and every 5-7 months for 19 months. Sera from suspected dengue patients were tested for DENV antigen by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and select antigen-positive sera were further tested using a serotype-specific, quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Sera from the household cohort were tested for flavivirus-reactive antibodies by immunoglobulin (Ig) M and IgG ELISAs using DENV antigen. A total of 418 (17.7%) patients with suspected dengue had laboratory-confirmed DENV infections, including 82 patients who were positive for DENV RNA. The most frequently detected serotype was DENV-1 (61 patients), followed by DENV-2 (16 patients) and DENV-3 (five patients). A total of 217 (62.7%) asymptomatic individuals had flavivirus-reactive antibodies at enrollment, and nine flavivirus-naïve individuals seroconverted. Sera from a subset of dengue patients and household participants, including all those who seroconverted, were further tested by plaque reduction neutralization test, resulting in the detection of antibodies to DENV-1, DENV-2, and West Nile virus. In summary, we provide evidence for the co-circulation of multiple flaviviruses in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, on the Mexico-U.S. border.

Vertebrate-Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera)-arbovirus transmission networks: Non-human feeding revealed by meta-barcoding and next-generation sequencing

“…Diversion of vector bites to non-human competent hosts reduces viral amplification and reduces potentially infectious bites to humans by dengue vectors, thus could be used as a control tool to limit arbovirus transmission. Although an earlier study in a similar Reynosa neighborhood isolated CHIKV from patients with dengue-like symptoms [56], and co-circulation of DENV1-3 and West Nile virus [57], all pools of host-seeking Ae. aegypti were negative for the presence of arbovirus RNA (DENV 1-4, ZIKV, and CHIKV), and all pools of Cx.…”

Arbovirus surveillance on the Mexico–USA border: West Nile virus identification in various species of field mosquitoes

“…Few records exist of WNV in human samples [19–22], and in three pools of mosquitoes [19, 22]. In the State of Chihuahua, antibodies to West Nile have been isolated in samples of horses, goats, and several species of wild and poultry birds [7], and up to 5.13% in human samples in a cohort study [23] showing local transmission in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua.…”

Antiviral Activity of Compound L3 against Dengue and Zika Viruses In Vitro and In Vivo

“…However, there are still no approved antiviral drugs available for the prevention or treatment of DENV and/or ZIKV infection. As several studies have shown that DENV and ZIKV concurrently outbreak in endemic areas [28,29], the development of antiviral agents that act on the host factors are more likely to have pan-antiviral activity, acting not only against DENV but also simultaneously against related flaviviruses, such as ZIKV.…”