A new variant of dengue has been identified in the country named Denvi-3.
Patients in Dhaka have been identified being affected by the variant.
This information was provided by the Bangladesh Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR) by sequencing the genomes of 20 samples.
This was revealed at the unveiling ceremony of genome sequencing of dengue virus held at the IFRD auditorium of BCSIR on Sunday morning.
Dr. Selim Khan, the chief researcher of the institute, presented the research report on the occasion.
At this time Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University’s (BSMMU) Department of Virology Professor Saifullah Munshi said this variant was first identified in the country in 2017.
Before 2017, many people have developed immunity by being infected with Denvi-1 and 2.
However, this immunity was not developed against Danvy-3. Those affected by the previous two variants are at risk of hemorrhage if they are newly infected with Denvi-3; hence this poses more death threats.
He said that this sequencing of BCSIR would be helpful in future vaccine production. This time people are getting more affected by the Dengue Denvi-3 variant which is more terrifying than the Denvy-1, 2.
In a written statement, BCSIR Chairman Professor Dr. Md. Aftab Ali Shaikh said that there are four best types of dengue which are expressed through Denvi-1, Denvi-2, Denvi-3 and Denvi-4.
Of the four serotypes of the virus, 65-70 percent has amino acid sequences. The virus is transmitted by the aedes mosquito.
Dengue is by far the most mosquito-borne disease. About 3.6 billion people are currently at risk of infection. It’s prevalence is most observed in different countries especially in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Dengue is prevalent in Bangladesh every year, especially during the monsoon season.
Although dengue fever was first identified in Bangladesh in 1964, the virus was first reported in 2000 as an epidemic in Bangladesh.
According to the research of IEDCR (Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control And Research), before 2016, the epidemic was caused by the type DNV-1 and DNV-2. Denvi-3 was first identified in 2017.
According to the Department of Health, about 40,000 people were infected with dengue in 2019 and about 29 of those infected died. Although only one sample of the dengue virus was genetically sequenced in 2019, the type-2 was identified. So far this year, more than 10,000 dengue patients have been hospitalized and 40 of them have died.
