Molecular Approaches for Understanding Dengue Disease

Dear Colleagues,

Dengue disease is the most prevalent mosquito-borne viral infection in humans. Dengue incidence has dramatically increased in the last two decades, and dengue burden represents a real threat to affected tropical and subtropical countries worldwide. Mosquito-borne dengue virus (DENV) is an enveloped single-stranded positive RNA virus belonging to the Flavivirus genus of the Flaviviridae family. The four different serotypes of DENV, DENV-1 to DENV-4, can cause a wide spectrum of clinical illnesses ranging from self-limited dengue fever to severe dengue (dengue hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome) with fatal consequences. No approved antiviral therapeutic agents are available to treat patients with severe dengue disease. An efficient vaccine is expected to afford a long-term protective immunity against the four DENV serotypes. The mechanisms underlying dengue disease are complex, and understanding the pathogenic basis of severe dengue is challenging. Vector transmission of DENV, pathogenic characteristics of viral strain, predisposing genetic determinants, and comorbidities such as chronic diseases associated to metabolic disorders as well as the immune status of individuals have been identified as risk factors for the development of severe dengue. There is a real need of innovative strategies to reduce the incidence of DENV infection and prevent the risk of severe dengue. Consequently, the development of dengue control strategies involves a better knowledge of the biology of emerging viral strains in relation with their mosquito vectors as well as molecular mechanisms involved in the immunopathogenesis of severe dengue.

In this Special Issue, the contributors are warmly invited to publish their works focusing on molecular mechanisms associated with dengue disease.

Dr. Valérie Choumet
Prof. Philippe Desprès
Guest Editors

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• dengue disease
• severe dengue
• viral pathogenesis
• viral pathogenicity
• mosquito vector–virus interaction
• human host–virus interactions