Contribution of phylogenetics to understanding the evolution and epidemiology of dengue virus. Issue 5 (17th October 2022) - Yu, Xi
Abstract: Dengue virus (DENV) is one of the most important arboviral pathogens in the tropics and subtropics, and nearly one‐third of the world's population is at risk of infection. The transmission of DENV involves a sylvatic cycle between nonhuman primates (NHP) and Aedes genus mosquitoes, and an endemic cycle between human hosts and predominantly Aedes aegypti . DENV belongs to the genus Flavivirus of the family Flaviviridae and consists of four antigenically distinct serotypes (DENV‐1‐4). Phylogenetic analyses of DENV have revealed its origin, epidemiology, and the drivers that determine its molecular evolution in nature. This review discusses how phylogenetic research has improved our understanding of DENV evolution and how it affects viral ecology and improved our ability to analyze and predict future DENV emergence. Abstract : The ecology of DENV is a sylvatic cycle that alternates between non‐human primates and the Aedes genus mosquitoes. This sylvatic life cycle may extend to human hosts and subsequently establish an endemic cycle dominated primarily by Aedes aegypti . The drivers of DENV evolution and diversity include replication errors, purifying selection pressure, positive selection pressure, lineage shift and replacement, and recombination.