Ahead of dengue vaccine rollout, all 4 strains found in circulation
A nationwide study in India has identified the simultaneous circulation of all four dengue virus serotypes across eight states. Researchers warn that this hyperendemicity increases the risk of severe disease and complicates future vaccine rollout strategies.
Why it matters
Understanding the distribution of dengue strains is critical for public health officials to develop effective vaccination programs and manage severe outbreak risks.
NEW DELHI: As India moves towards introducing a dengue vaccine by next year, the country's first nationwide mapping of dengue virus strains has found all four serotypes circulating simultaneously in eight states and UTs, a development researchers say could influence vaccine strategy as infections with multiple strains are associated with more severe disease.The pan-India molecular surveillance study, led by ICMR-National Institute of Virology, Pune, analysed 6,889 lab-confirmed dengue samples collected through 45 virus research and diagnostic laboratories (VRDLs) across 25 states and UTs between 2023 and 2025. It found that dengue serotypes - at least two - were co-circulating in each state and UT included in the surveillance, indicating increasing hyperendemicity of the disease in India.According to the study, all four dengue serotypes (DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3 and DENV-4) were detected simultaneously in Andhra, Gujarat, Haryana, MP, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
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