Detection of new viruses that cause dengue

Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, USA, said dengue has killed two people in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2009 and seriously sick the third person because of a new virus. out.

This newly discovered virus is more likely to exist in the natural environment, in insects or animals, but can also be spread through human-to-human contact.

The virus is called the Bas-Congo virus or BASV, after the province located in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where three cases of the virus appeared.

Charles Chiu, a member of the new virus research team

Charles Chiu, a member of the research team, said: "These are just three known cases so far, although there may be more outbreaks caused by this virus in the future."

According to research published in PLoS Pathogens magazine, BASV is not the same as any other virus that causes dengue fever. Called a virus that causes rabies, genetically, it is related to viruses that cause rabies. In fish, rabies viruses can cause them to bleed to death, called hemorrhagic septic syndrome.

Other viruses that cause dengue fever are Ebola, Lassa and Crimean-Congo. The Democratic Republic of Congo's Ministry of Health said the outbreak of the Ebola virus in the country could kill 33 people. In Uganda, 17 people died of the Ebola virus when the outbreak broke out in July and August.

Researchers say they have developed an antibody test for BASV virus that may help diagnose symptoms of the disease in future outbreaks.