An outbreak of dengue virus serotype 1 infection in Cixi, Ningbo, People's Republic of China, 2004, associated with a traveler from Thailand and high density of Aedes albopictus.

Autochthonous dengue infections have not been reported in Ningbo, People's Republic of China since 1929. In August-October 2004, an outbreak of dengue fever was confirmed in Xiaolin, Cixi, Ningbo. Of 83 cases reported, 68 were laboratory confirmed. Fifty-three percent (34 of 64) of the cases had IgM antibodies to dengue virus. Dengue virus serotype-1 was isolated from two cases. The outbreak was linked to a traveler who returned from Thailand. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the Ningbo isolate was closely associated to strains from Thailand. Prevalence of dengue-specific IgG in asymptomatic residents was significantly higher in the epidemic-stricken area than in a control area. High density of Aedes albopictus, which resulted from waterlogging caused by Typhoon Rananim and lifestyle of local residents, was responsible for rapid spread of the virus. Eradication of mosquito infestation might interrupt transmission. This outbreak underscores the importance of maintaining surveillance and control of potential vectors for the control of emerging infectious diseases.

[1]  Eli Schwartz,et al.  Dengue in travelers. , 2005, The New England journal of medicine.

[2]  Tom Clarke,et al.  Dengue virus: Break-bone fever , 2002, Nature.

[3]  Z. Zhao,et al.  The first epidemic of dengue hemorrhagic fever in the People's Republic of China. , 1991, The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene.

[4]  R. Lanciotti,et al.  Rapid detection and typing of dengue viruses from clinical samples by using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction , 1992, Journal of clinical microbiology.

[5]  D. Gubler,et al.  Dengue in China: a clinical review. , 1993, Bulletin of the World Health Organization.

[6]  Underdiagnosis of dengue--Laredo, Texas, 1999. , 2001, MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report.

[7]  Edward C. Holmes,et al.  Clade Replacements in Dengue Virus Serotypes 1 and 3 Are Associated with Changing Serotype Prevalence , 2005, Journal of Virology.

[8]  D. Gubler,et al.  Comparative susceptibility of mosquito species and strains to oral and parenteral infection with dengue and Japanese encephalitis viruses. , 1985, The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene.

[9]  J. A. Comer,et al.  A novel coronavirus associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome. , 2003, The New England journal of medicine.

[10]  Beatriz Parra,et al.  Human and mosquito infections by dengue viruses during and after epidemics in a dengue-endemic region of Colombia. , 2006, The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene.

[11]  Sudhir Kumar,et al.  MEGA3: Integrated software for Molecular Evolutionary Genetics Analysis and sequence alignment , 2004, Briefings Bioinform..

[12]  S. Tajima,et al.  Novel Dengue Virus Type 1 from Travelers to Yap State, Micronesia , 2006, Emerging infectious diseases.

[13]  D. Gubler.  The global emergence/resurgence of arboviral diseases as public health problems. , 2002, Archives of medical research.

[14]  N. Gratz,et al.  Critical review of the vector status of Aedes albopictus , 2004, Medical and veterinary entomology.

[15]  Heng Wang,et al.  Molecular epidemiological study of dengue virus type 1 in Taiwan , 2003, Journal of medical virology.

[16]  T. Cosgriff,et al.  The reemergence of dengue in China. , 1989, Reviews of infectious diseases.

[17]  A. Han,et al.  Myanmar Dengue Outbreak Associated with Displacement of Serotypes 2, 3, and 4 by Dengue 1 , 2004, Emerging infectious diseases.

[18]  X. Aguilera,et al.  Dengue-1 Virus Isolation during First Dengue Fever Outbreak on Easter Island, Chile , 2003, Emerging infectious diseases.

[19]  D. Gubler,et al.  Dengue Fever, Hawaii, 2001–2002 , 2005, Emerging infectious diseases.

[20]  T. Monath,et al.  Dengue: the risk to developed and developing countries. , 1994, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

[21]  Deng Yongqiang,et al.  Simultaneous infection with dengue 2 and 3 viruses in a Chinese patient return from Sri Lanka. , 2005, Journal of clinical virology : the official publication of the Pan American Society for Clinical Virology.

[22]  C. Zou,et al.  Etiologic and serologic investigations of the 1980 epidemic of dengue fever on Hainan Island, China. , 1986, The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene.