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Exploring the evolution of dengue fever: How does the virus become more of a threat in war?
Dengue virus (DENV) is a mosquito-borne RNA virus that has had a dramatic impact on human health in the tropics over the past 20 years. According to reports, there are up to 390 million dengue infections worldwide every year. Although knowledge about dengue fever continues to increase, the scientific community's understanding of this virus may be oversimplified. In fact, the mutation and epidemic dynamics of the virus are extremely complex. Especially during the world wars, population mobility and environmental changes may have accelerated the evolution of dengue virus.
The American-African genotype of dengue virus mutated between 1914 and 1949, which happened to cover the periods of World War I and II.
Epidemiological studies have shown that the four serotypes of dengue virus are variable and associated with different types of acute disease manifestations. The reasons for these changes may be related to changes in mosquito habitats and adaptation to various environmental factors. During the two world wars, large-scale movements of people and disturbances in the ecological environment may have contributed to the evolution of new vector-borne viruses.
Virus life cycle and mode of transmission
Dengue virus is usually transmitted through interactions between humans and the Aedes aegypti mosquito. Recent research shows that as mosquitoes feed on the blood of infected humans, the virus then infects the mosquito's gut and its tissues. After feeling infected, these mosquitoes will look for new hosts to bite, and then pass the virus to other humans, ultimately leading to the spread of the virus in civilized society.
Each infected mosquito can release 1,000 to 10,000 new virus particles, making dengue's spread potential terrifying.
In addition, the life cycle of dengue virus also affects its replication process in the host body. In particular, some viruses initiate host autophagy and endoplasmic reticulum stress response, which may further promote virus reproduction. This type of cellular response is not only an important environment required for virus growth, but may also cause potential pathological changes.
Immune response to dengue fever
Although most people will produce antibodies after being infected with dengue fever, in some cases it may lead to abnormal immune responses, which is the so-called antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) phenomenon. This phenomenon occurs when a patient has been infected with a certain serotype but is re-infected with a different serotype. In this case, the old antibodies may not be able to properly neutralize the new virus and may instead exacerbate viral entry.
When patients become infected repeatedly, this can lead to more severe conditions such as dengue hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome.
Vaccines and prevention and treatment prospects
As the outbreak rate of dengue fever increases, vaccine development has become an urgent need for global public health. There are currently two vaccines approved and on the market. Among them, the Qdenga vaccine is a quadrivalent attenuated vaccine designed for adults and children over five years old and has the ability to prevent different serotypes.
Research on the vaccine is also ongoing to understand its effectiveness and resistance to different serotypes. Some experts pointed out that the challenges in the development of dengue fever vaccines are not small, not only because they need to be developed for the high variability of the four serotypes, but also because of the immune background of specific ethnic groups.
As the global dengue fever epidemic continues to expand, people cannot help but wonder: in such a highly changing geopolitical and environmental context, whether the virus will further evolve in a more complex way, and how should we adapt and respond to this situation? What about a protracted war?
