Dengue virus 1 in Buenos Aires from 1999 to 2010: towards local spread

PLoS One. 2014 Oct 24;9(10):e111017. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0111017. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Dengue virus (DENV) is a public health problem representing the most important arthropod-borne viral disease in humans. In Argentina, Northern provinces have reported autochthonous cases since 1997, though these outbreaks have originated in bordering countries, where co-circulation of more than one serotype has been reported. In the last decade, imported dengue cases have been reported in Buenos Aires, the urban area of Argentina with the highest population density. In 2009, a dengue outbreak affected Buenos Aires and, for the first time, local transmission was detected. All cases of this outbreak were caused by DENV-1. In this report, we present the full-length sequences of 27 DENV-1 isolates, corresponding to imported cases of 1999-2000, as well as local and imported cases of the 2009 and 2010 outbreaks. We analyzed their phylogenetic and phylodynamic relationships and their global and local spread. Additionally, we characterized their genomic and phenotypic features. All cases belonged to DENV-1 genotype V. The most recent ancestor for this genotype was dated ∼1934, whereas that for the 2009 outbreak was dated ∼2007. The mean rates of nucleotide substitution were 4.98E-4 and 8.53E-4 subs./site/yr, respectively. We inferred an introduction from Paraguay in 1999-2000 and mainly from Venezuela during 2009-2010. Overall, the number of synonymous substitutions per synonymous site significantly exceeded the number of non-synonymous substitutions per site and 12 positively selected sites were detected. These analyses could contribute to a better understanding regarding spread and evolution of this pathogen in the Southern Cone of South America.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Argentina / epidemiology
  • Bayes Theorem
  • Dengue / transmission*
  • Dengue / virology
  • Dengue Virus / genetics
  • Dengue Virus / isolation & purification
  • Dengue Virus / physiology*
  • Genotype
  • Humans
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Phylogeny
  • Phylogeography
  • RNA, Viral / genetics
  • Viral Proteins / genetics

Substances

  • RNA, Viral
  • Viral Proteins

Associated data

  • GENBANK/KC692495
  • GENBANK/KC692496
  • GENBANK/KC692497
  • GENBANK/KC692498
  • GENBANK/KC692499
  • GENBANK/KC692500
  • GENBANK/KC692501
  • GENBANK/KC692502
  • GENBANK/KC692503
  • GENBANK/KC692504
  • GENBANK/KC692505
  • GENBANK/KC692506
  • GENBANK/KC692507
  • GENBANK/KC692508
  • GENBANK/KC692509
  • GENBANK/KC692510
  • GENBANK/KC692511
  • GENBANK/KC692512
  • GENBANK/KC692513
  • GENBANK/KC692514
  • GENBANK/KC692515
  • GENBANK/KC692516
  • GENBANK/KC692517

Grants and funding

This work was supported by ANPCYT, Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación Productiva de la Nación, Argentina (grant PICT2244/10). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. No additional external funding was received for this study.