Preliminary study of dengue virus infection in Iran

SummaryDengue fever is one of the most important arthropod-borne viral diseases of public health significance. It is endemic in most tropical and subtropical parts of the world, many of which are popular tourist destinations.The presence of dengue infection was examined in Iranian patients who were referred to the Arboviruses and Viral Haemorrhagic Fevers Laboratory of the Pasteur Institute of Iran and tested negative for Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) between 2000 and 2012. Serum samples from these patients were tested for the presence of specific IgG and IgM and viral nucleic acid in blood.Of the 300 sera tested, 15 (5%) were seropositive, and 3 (1%) were both serologically and PCR positive. Of the 15 seropositive cases, 8 (53.3%) had travelled to endemic areas including Malaysia (5, 62.5%), India (2, 25%) and Thailand (1, 12.5%). In contrast, 7 (46.7%) of the cases had not reported travelling abroad. Of these, six cases were from the Sistan and Baluchistan province in southeast Iran and neighbouring Pakistan.Travellers play a key role in the epidemiology of dengue infection in Iran and it is recommended that travellers to endemic areas take precautionary measures to avoid mosquito bites.