Evidence of Cross-Reactivity Between Zika and Dengue Virus

A cross-sectional analysis of data collected over 3 summers in Rio Grande do Norte (RN), Brazil (January-March 2015, 2016, and 2017), provides epidemiological evidence that preexisting Dengue virus antibodies have cross-reactivity with Zika, according to a presentation given by Brazilian researchers at ID Week 2018 . This finding is based on prevalence data, which showed the following:

• Suspected Dengue fever cases: 6902, 34,642, and 1,677 cases during the summers of 2015, 2016, and 2017, respectively.
• Confirmed Dengue fever cases: 523, 7,599, and 204 cases during the summers of 2015, 2016, and 2017, respectively.
• Suspected Zika cases:  3,486 and 86 cases during summers of 2016 and 2017, respectively.
• Confirmed Zika cases: 97 and 0 cases during summers of 2016 and 2017, respectively.
• Total Zika cases during 2015 and 2016: 14,584 (represents <0.5% of RN population).

The researchers concluded that these data suggest the following:

• Dengue fever outbreak in 2016 contributed to decrease of 97.53% in the prevalence of Zika virus infection in 2017, suggesting preexisting Dengue virus antibodies partially neutralize Zika virus infection through serologic cross-reactivity.
• Findings suggest that Dengue virus vaccines might offer some protection against Zika virus but further studies are needed.

Read more here.

Reference

Neto NNM, Maia J, Zacarkim MR, et al. Cross-Reactivity Between Zika and Dengue Virus: A Cross-Sectional Analysis in Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Presented at: 2018 ID Week; October 3-7, 2018; San Francisco, California. Abstract 445.