Novel concept on antiviral strategies to dengue

•Proposed novel concept in developing antiviral strategy to control dengue.•RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) is subtle difference in the flavivirus family.•Integrating the most up-to-date information in dengue into the anti-viral concept.•Proposed new prevention strategy designing for the antiviral management of dengue.

Recent evidence has revealed that asymptomatic and/or persistent dengue virus (DENV) infections play a role in the cycling pattern of dengue outbreaks. These findings add a new dimension to the continually evolving search for effective prevention strategies in dengue. Disappointing outcomes of clinical trials in anti-dengue modalities have become commonplace. These failures may result from confounding variables and/or unresolved scientific issues that surround dengue, including the replication cycle of DENV in a natural setting, the target cells and reservoir for viral replication in vivo, and the effect of asymptomatic/persistent carriers in the dissemination of dengue. This article sets forth to address these issues using the most updated information available in the literature and to propose a novel antiviral strategy for the prevention and control of dengue.