ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Virology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2025.1607085
This article is part of the Research TopicEffective Therapeutic Strategies, Including Treatments, Vaccines, and Immunotherapies, for Combating Zoonotic Viruses and Improving Global Health OutcomesView all articles
The Pre-and Post-COVID-19 Pandemic Dengue Fever Patterns in Southeastern Coastal China in 2019 and 2024: Molecular Evolution and Strain Replacement
Provisionally accepted
Tianran Zhang1
Yaqi Shi2Leyi Zhang1Jian Wang1Weiming Yan3Chengchao Yu1Binbin lv1
Sisi Wu1Yiru Huang1
Xuewei Liu1Hupiao Dai1Mingshi Zhou1
Yanjuan Liao4*
Wei Wang3*Guankai Lin1*- 1Wenzhou Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, wezhou, China
- 2Xinjiang Animals Health Supervision Institute, Urumqi, China
- 3Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
- 4Guangxi Minzu University, Guangxi, China
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Background: The evolutionary dynamics of dengue virus type 1 (DENV-1) in nonendemic settings such as southeastern coastal China where outbreaks predominantly stem from imported cases, remains insufficiently defined, particularly in relation to lineage displacement dynamics. Methods: Ninety-three DENV-1 isolates (56 from 2019, 37 from 2024) collected in southeastern coastal China underwent whole-genome sequencing. Phylogenetic relationships were inferred using maximum likelihood methods under the GTR+G+I model. Selection pressures were assessed through FEL, MEME, SLAC, and FUBAR.Recombination was analyzed using seven detection algorithms implemented in RDP4. Hamming distances were used to profile amino acid substitutions. Epitope mapping was performed by comparative alignment against CYD-TDV and TAK-003 vaccine reference strains. Results: Phylogenetic inference placed all isolates within genotype I, yet 2019 and 2024 sequences segregated into distinct clades: 1I_E.1 and 1I_K.2, respectively. Codon-level analyses consistently indicated purifying selection. Eighteen recombination events were identified, predominantly involving strains of Vietnamese and Cambodian origin. A total of 40 non-synonymous substitutions were conserved across both periods, while 24 mutations were exclusive to 2024 isolates, with marked enrichment in NS3 and NS5 proteins. Epitope analyses revealed 9 and 17 antigenic variants within neutralizing domains of CYD-TDV and TAK-003, respectively. Conclusion: Complete genotype turnover of DENV-1 occurred in southeastern coastal China between 2019 and 2024, driven by displacement of lineage 1I_E.1 by 1I_K.2, with implications for local transmission patterns. Observed antigenic divergence between temporal isolates emphasizes the importance of sustained genomic monitoring and targeted intervention strategies tailored to circulating strains in this region.
Keywords: Dengue virus type 1, amino acid substitutions, Vaccine Compatibility, molecular evolution, COVID-19
Received: 07 Apr 2025; Accepted: 07 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zhang, Shi, Zhang, Wang, Yan, Yu, lv, Wu, Huang, Liu, Dai, Zhou, Liao, Wang and Lin. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Yanjuan Liao, Guangxi Minzu University, Guangxi, China
Wei Wang, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, 325035, Zhejiang Province, China
Guankai Lin, Wenzhou Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, wezhou, China
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