In 2023, Taiwan experienced a major dengue outbreak following the relaxation of COVID-19 border controls. This study aimed to explore the potential virological, immunological, and clinical drivers by retrospectively analyzing confirmed cases at a tertiary care hospital in southern Taiwan. Researchers identified viral serotypes, analyzed genetic relationships, compared clinical features, and evaluated antibody neutralization capacity along with Antibody-Dependent Enhancement (ADE). The findings revealed the co-circulation of DENV-1 and DENV-2, which were genetically linked to strains from Southeast Asia. DENV-2 infection was significantly associated with older age, diabetes, and hypertension. While immunity from past outbreaks provided potent neutralization against the same serotypes, it offered limited cross-protection, and ADE was observed in heterotypic infection contexts. These results emphasize the importance of integrated viral surveillance and immunological assessments in regions vulnerable to imported viral threats.

Read more: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12849096/

First Author: Ying-Wei Tung

Co-author: Arunee Thitithanyanont

Corresponding Author: Sheng-Fan Wang