Impact of dengue virus (DENV) co-infection on clinical manifestations, disease severity and laboratory parameters

Abstract

Dengue virus (DENV) infection is a global health threat, with approximately half of the world's population at risk of being infected and 0.5 million people requiring hospitalization each year [1]. It is amongst the most important vector-borne viral disease of humans. A recent estimate suggests that there are 96 million apparent DENV infections globally per year with Asian countries bearing 70 % of this burden [2], making this region an epicentre of dengue activity. DENV infections can lead to a wide range of clinical manifestations, ranging from mild fever to potentially fatal dengue shock syndrome. Previously classified as dengue fever (DF), dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) and dengue shock syndrome (DSS) [3], World Health Organization (WHO) dengue classification 2009 classifies dengue as dengue with or without warning signs and severe dengue [4].