Dengue Virus

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Dengue Virus
Virus classification
Group: Group IV ((+)ssRNA) Family: Flaviviridae Genus: Flavivirus

Classification

Group: Group IV ((+)ssRNA)

Family: Flaviviridae

Genus: Flavivirus

Species: Dengue Virus

How and where it was isolated:

In more recent times, cases of Dengue have been isolated from Pakistan to the Americas. The first ever Dengue viruses were isolated from soldiers who fell sick in Calcutta, India, New Guinea and Hawaii. The viruses from India, Hawaii and one strain from New Guinea were Antigenically similar, whereas three other strains from New Guinea appeared to be different. They were called Dengue 1 (DEN-1) and Dengue 2 (DEN2) and designated as prototype viruses (DEN-1, Hawaii and DEN-2, New Guinea-C). Two more serotypes - Dengue 3 (DEN-3) and Dengue 4 (DEN-4) were subsequently isolated from patients with a hemorrhagic disease during an epidemic in Manila in 1956.

What makes it biologically interesting?

Its application to Biotechnology... its medical importance... major research findings made with it... what's cool about myxoma virus as an organism:

References:

http://cmr.asm.org/cgi/content/full/11/3/480?view=long&pmid=9665979

http://pathport.vbi.vt.edu/pathinfo/pathogens/Dengue1.html

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ajc1/1437910835/