Ann Lab Med.  2017 Mar;37(2):151-154. 10.3343/alm.2017.37.2.151.

Dengue Virus Serotypes Circulating in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan, 2013-2015

• Suleman M
• Faryal R
• Alam MM
• Sharif S
• Shaukat S
• Aamir UB
• Khurshid A
• Angez M
• Umair M
• Sufian MM
• Arshad Y
• Zaidi SS

• KMID: 2373633
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3343/alm.2017.37.2.151

Abstract

From 2013 to 2015, the National Institute of Health, Pakistan, received 1,270 blood samples of suspected dengue cases reported from inpatient and outpatient departments of various hospitals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province. In this study, we determined the circulating dengue virus (DENV) serotypes using real-time reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR to understand the serotype-based epidemiology of DENV. All four serotypes (DENV-1 [6%], DENV-2 [33%], DENV-3 [47%], and DENV-4 [0.1%]) were found circulating during the study period. Our findings suggest the need for an active surveillance system coupled with the laboratory diagnosis, especially in the chronic endemic areas of the country. Public awareness programs are needed for effective control and prevention of outbreaks in the future.

Keyword

Dengue; Pakistan; Epidemiology; Real-time RT-PCR; Serotypes

MeSH Terms

Adolescent
Adult
Dengue/diagnosis/*epidemiology/virology
Dengue Virus/genetics/*isolation & purification
Disease Outbreaks
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Pakistan/epidemiology
RNA, Viral/genetics/metabolism
Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
Serogroup
Young Adult
RNA, Viral

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Results of real-time reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR according to the days after onset of symptoms.

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