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Yale researchers, in collaboration with scientists from 14 other countries, have introduced a new system for naming dengue virus lineages. This development aims to enhance the tracking of new variants and aid in vaccine creation. The study detailing this system was published in PLOS Biology.

Dengue virus, transmitted by mosquitoes, causes symptoms such as high fever, body aches, nausea, and rash. In severe cases, it can be fatal. While traditionally found in tropical and subtropical regions, dengue has spread globally. In 2023 alone, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported nearly 4.6 million cases in the Americas. This year, over 11.7 million cases have been documented worldwide.

Nathan Grubaugh, associate professor of epidemiology at Yale School of Public Health (YSPH) and senior author of the study, emphasized the need for genomic surveillance data for public health and vaccine development. “From a public health perspective and from a vaccine development perspective, dengue virus genomic surveillance data is critically needed,” he said.

Previously, available data on dengue were divided into broad categories by different countries and research groups using separate systems. This led to inconsistencies in variant naming and complicated tracking efforts.

Grubaugh and Verity Hill, an associate research scientist at YSPH and lead author of the study, collaborated with international colleagues to create a unified naming system. They presented their design at several international conferences where it received universal support.

Hill updated standard definitions for what qualifies as a separate genotype and added two sub-genotype categories: major and minor lineages. This increased resolution allows researchers to identify multiple circulating lineages within regions more effectively.

“With broad categories it can look like regions are affected by just one or two versions of the virus,” Hill explained. “But with this increased resolution we start to see a number of lineages that are circulating around regions.”

Anderson F. Brito from the All for Health Institute in São Paulo highlighted the importance of this new system for countries facing significant dengue challenges like Brazil. “The new lineage system we developed provides a crucial tool for understanding the genetic diversity of the dengue virus,” he said.

The researchers have also launched a website providing information on the new naming system along with resources for further research and lineage suggestions based on genomic work.

“We’ll have a committee that meets yearly to designate new lineages based on submitted data,” Hill added.

This research received support from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases under Award Number DP2AI176740.