Mosquito-transmitted dengue virus is one of the leading causes of illness in the tropics and subtropics. There is currently no vaccine available and a number of DENV diagnostic and research applications depend on the production of large amounts of these viruses. However, due to the slow growing nature of DENVs these protocols are very time-consuming.

Researchers at the CDC have engineered stable, rapidly growing dengue-like viruses by combining the fast replicative ability of the West Nile virus with the immunogenic premembrane and envelope surface proteins of DENV serotypes 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. These DENV structural features are involved in a number of biological functions including virus-cell attachment and initiation of virus-specific antibody production. In turn, the chimeric viruses are more infectious and virulent than wild type DENV, but they do respond similarly in neutralization assays. The investigators also describe methods to use the inactivated form of these chimeras to elicit protective immune responses. Thus, these chimeric viruses can be used to enhance the efficiency of DENV diagnostics, vaccine development and testing, and basic dengue virology.