Dengue virus surveillance: the co-circulation of DENV-1, DENV-2 and DENV-3 in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

This study presents the results obtained in the monitoring of dengue virus (DENV) transmission in the Greater Metropolitan Region of the State of Rio de Janeiro, in the period 2000–2001. A total of 5324 serum samples from suspected cases of dengue were analysed in order to confirm dengue infection. The introduction of DENV-3 to the region in December 2000 resulted in the co-circulation of three serotypes: DENV-1, DENV-2 and DENV-3. In this study, virus isolation and/or reverse transcriptase PCR (RT–PCR) confirmed 52.3% (42/79) of DENV-3 cases, showing the importance of acute serum samples in the virological surveillance of the disease. Despite the introduction of a new serotype, an outbreak due to DENV-1 was observed in the municipality of Niteroi. The restriction site-specific PCR (RSS–PCR) patterns obtained for DENV-1 and DENV-2 isolated in that period showed that those strains belonged to the subtypes previously circulating in the state. DENV-3 RSS–PCR patterns confirmed that these viruses belonged to subtype C (Sri Lanka/India strains), represented by the strain circulating on the American continent. These data showed the importance of an active surveillance programme in countries where dengue is endemic.