An insight into seroepidemiology and dynamics of circulating serotypes of Dengue virus over a four year period from western Uttar Pradesh, India

An important public health problem in India is dengue infection, and every year there is an increase in dengue cases. Dengue affects all individuals irrespective of their gender and age, but still, the infection rate was higher among males and younger ones. Despite low severity in general, the dengue virus can cause severe health conditions in some individuals. Genetic characterization of the circulating endemic dengue virus (DENV) serotypes plays a significant role in establishing epidemiological knowledge and subsequent vaccine development. In the present study, over a 4-yr period, we tried to figure out the dengue virus transmission dynamics in major regions of western Uttar Pradesh in North India. ELISA tests were used to diagnose dengue, and PCRs were used to determine the circulating serotype. We found that dengue infection peaks after the rainy season and affects all sexes and ages. A total of 1277 individuals were found positive for dengue; among them, 61.7% were males, and 38.3% were females. DEN-1 was found in 23.12%, DEN-2 in 45%, DEN-3 in 29.06%, and DEN-4 in 1.5% of the dengue-infected individuals. All four dengue virus serotypes are circulating in the study area, and dengue virus serotype-2 (DEN-2) is the most prevalent serotype.