Dengue virus and the host innate immune response

Dengue virus (DENV) is a mosquito-borne Flavivirus that is endemic in many tropical and sub-tropical countries where the transmission vectors Aedes spp. mosquitoes resides. There are four serotypes of the virus. Each serotype is antigenically different, meaning they elicit heterologous antibodies. Infection with one serotype will create neutralizing antibodies to the serotype. Cross-protection from other serotypes is not long term, instead heterotypic infection can cause severe disease. This review will focus on the innate immune response to DENV infection and the virus evasion of the innate immune system by escaping recognition or inhibiting the production of an antiviral state. Activated innate immune pathways includes type I interferon, complement, apoptosis, and autophagy, which the virus can evade or exploit to exacerbate disease. It is important to understand out how the immune system reacts to infection and how the virus evades immune response in order to develop effective antivirals and vaccines.