Entomological surveillance with viral tracking demonstrates a migrated viral strain caused dengue epidemic in July, 2017 in Sri Lanka

PLoS One. 2020 May 6;15(5):e0231408. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0231408. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

Dengue is the most important mosquito-borne viral infection disease in Sri Lanka triggering extensive economic and social burden in the country. Even after numerous source reduction programmes, more than 30,000 incidences are reporting in the country every year. The last and greatest dengue epidemic in the country was reported in July, 2017 with more than 300 dengue related deaths and the highest number of dengue incidences were reported from the District of Gampaha. There is no Dengue Virus (DENV) detection system in field specimens in the district yet and therefore the aim of the study is development of entomological surveillance approach through vector survey programmes together with molecular and phylogenetic methods to identify detection of DENV serotypes circulation in order to minimize adverse effects of imminent dengue outbreaks. Entomological surveys were conducted in five study areas in the district for 36 months and altogether, 10,616 potential breeding places were investigated and 423 were positive for immature stages of dengue vector mosquitoes. During adult collections, 2,718 dengue vector mosquitoes were collected and 4.6% (n = 124) were Aedes aegypti. While entomological indices demonstrate various correlations with meteorological variables and reported dengue incidences, the mosquito pools collected during the epidemic in 2017 were positive for DENV. The results of the phylogenetic analysis illustrated that Envelope (E) gene sequences derived from the isolated DENV belongs to the Clade Ib of Cosmopolitan genotype of the DENV serotype 2 which has been the dominant stain in South-East Asian evidencing that a recent migration of DENV strain to Sri Lanka.

Publication types

  • Historical Article
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aedes / virology
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Animal Migration / physiology*
  • Animals
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Dengue / epidemiology*
  • Dengue / virology
  • Dengue Virus / genetics
  • Disease Outbreaks
  • Epidemics* / history
  • Female
  • Genotype
  • History, 21st Century
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mosquito Vectors* / physiology
  • Mosquito Vectors* / virology
  • Population Surveillance / methods
  • Sri Lanka / epidemiology
  • Young Adult

Grants and funding

Resources including field entomological laboratory, man power, equipment and supplies, etc. for the study were provided by the National Research Council, Sri Lanka (TO-14/04), Sri Lanka. Technical cooperation for molecular-based assays was provided by the International Atomic Energy Agency (SRL/TC- 5/047). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.