Stern Measures taken to prevent dengue cases

Antibody discovered to stop dengue virus growth in the US

The pre-monsoon showers have started contaminating the water in many cities of India, and the threat of water-borne diseases is looming large on us. The most deadly mosquito virus attack is Dengue; which strikes in large proportions, and can be fatal. Dengue vaccine is available, but what makes the virus so dangerous is that antibodies generated against one "serotype" do not protect against the others. They actually can enhance infection by a second serotype.

In lieu of an expected outbreak, the Delhi government has banned the use of over-the-counter sales of pain killers like Asprin, Brufin; in order to reduce the gastric bleeding due to the pain killers, which is taken to reduce swelling or pain (in dengue infected cases). Severe infections can lead to an increase in chances of being adversely affected by hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome, led by fever, vomiting, internal bleeding and potentially fatal circulatory collapse. Too much intake of painkillers is also stated to make your body drug resistant during such an illness.

The drugs can be sold only be prescription from qualified doctors.

As reported by IANS

In a pioneering discovery, researchers have determined that a human antibody strongly neutralises a type of lethal dengue virus in animals.

The result can lead to the first effective therapies and vaccines against dengue, a complex of four distinct but related mosquito-borne viruses that infect about 390 million people a year globally.

"This human antibody not only kills dengue virus but also prevents enhanced dengue disease," said James Crowe Jr, co-corresponding author from Vanderbilt University situated in Tennessee.

The researchers previously generated human antibodies in the lab against a complex antigenic portion of the viral envelope.

They froze samples at very low temperatures so they could visualise antibody-antigen binding almost down to the atomic level.

The team was able to identify a human monoclonal antibody against dengue virus type 2 (DENV2) that "locked" across an array of envelope proteins.

In a mouse model, this prevented the virus from fusing to its target cell, thus it prevents infection.

The antibody has a second major function - it blocks the binding of the other class of antibodies that otherwise would enhance infection.

"It is a potential target for the development of dengue vaccines and therapeutics," the researchers said.

The four "serotypes" of dengue are distinguished by different antigens or proteins on the viral envelope that elicit immune responses.