Findings Reveal How Dengue Virus Matures, Becomes Infectious

Biologists at Purdue University have determined why dengue virus particles undergo structural changes as they mature in host cells and how the changes are critical for enabling the virus to infect new host cells. The findings pertain to all viruses in the family of flaviviruses, which includes a number of dangerous insect-borne diseases such as dengue, West Nile, yellow fever and St. Louis encephalitis. Dengue is prevalent in Southeast Asia, Central America and South America.

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Filed under: Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses on April 2nd, 2008