Arboviral Infections (Dengue, Chikungunya, Zika, and Other Mosquito-Borne Diseases): Immune Response and Vaccine Development

A special issue of Vaccines (ISSN 2076-393X). This special issue belongs to the section "Vaccines Against Tropical and Other Infectious Diseases".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2026 | Viewed by 2097

Special Issue Editors

Shenzhen Guangming District Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen 518107, China
Interests: dengue virus; SARS-CoV-2; infectious diseases; immune; neutralizing antibody

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Microbiology Laboratory, Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, China
Interests: microbiology; molecular epidemiology; antimicrobial resistance; public health emergency response

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Arboviral infections—including dengue, chikungunya, Zika, and other mosquito-borne diseases—continue to pose major global public health challenges, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions. Some of these viruses share common immunopathogenic mechanisms, including cross-reactive immune responses, antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE), and host genetic factors influencing disease severity. Understanding these immune mechanisms is crucial for developing effective vaccines and therapeutics.

This Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive overview of recent advances in the immune response to arboviral infections and the development of safe and effective vaccines. We invite submissions that explore molecular, cellular, and immunological aspects of infection and immunity, as well as translational studies linking laboratory findings with clinical and epidemiological data.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Immune responses and immunopathogenesis of dengue, chikungunya, and Zika virus infections;
  • Cross-reactive immunity among arboviruses and its implications for disease severity and vaccine design;
  • Antibody-dependent enhancement and mechanisms of immune-mediated pathology;
  • Development of vaccines and immune correlates of protection for arboviral diseases;
  • Cytokine responses, T-cell dynamics, and innate immunity in arboviral infections;
  • Molecular epidemiology and immune surveillance of arboviral outbreaks;
  • Identification of immunological biomarkers for disease progression and protection;
  • Application of novel vaccine platforms (mRNA, subunit, viral vector) against arboviruses.

Prof. Bo Peng
Dr. Xiaolu Shi
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • arbovirus
  • dengue virus
  • chikungunya virus
  • Zika virus
  • mosquito-borne disease
  • immune response
  • cross-immunity
  • antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE)
  • vaccine development
  • immunopathology

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

15 pages, 772 KB  
Article
A Prospective Cohort Study of Primary Dengue Virus Infection in Medellín, Colombia
by Andrea Trujillo, Liesbeth Van Wesenbeeck, Lina Salazar, Liliana López, Lotke Tambuyzer, Annemie Buelens, Kim De Clerck, Oliver Lenz, Leen Vijgen, Marnix Van Loock, Guillermo Herrera-Taracena, Iván Darío Vélez and Freya Rasschaert
Vaccines 2025, 13(7), 748; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines13070748 - 12 Jul 2025
Viewed by 1530
Abstract
Background: The evaluation of antiviral or vaccination strategies for the prevention of dengue infections in a traveler population would require extensive and complex studies. This prospective study aimed to identify a cohort of dengue naïve participants living in Medellín, a dengue endemic area, [...] Read more.
Background: The evaluation of antiviral or vaccination strategies for the prevention of dengue infections in a traveler population would require extensive and complex studies. This prospective study aimed to identify a cohort of dengue naïve participants living in Medellín, a dengue endemic area, as a proxy for travelers and to determine the incidence of primary dengue virus (DENV) infection (symptomatic and asymptomatic) in this cohort. In Colombia, epidemic dengue waves occur every 3–4 years, with infected Aedes mosquitoes present in ~80% of the territory, including Medellín. Methods: Participants > 16 years of age, living in Medellín, were screened for anti-DENV immunoglobulin G (IgG). DENV seronegative participants were enrolled in this study. A serological anti-DENV survey was performed, with semiannual sample collections for up to 2 years. Acute DENV infections were evaluated by monitoring fever and testing for DENV nonstructural protein 1 and/or RNA. Results: Of the 4885 screened participants, 3008 participants (62%) were DENV seronegative and enrolled. Among them, 2263 (75%) completed this study, and 2644 (88%) had at least one serosurvey visit after baseline. Of those, 52 (2%) had laboratory-confirmed DENV seroconversion, and 19 (<1%) had febrile illness, but none had laboratory-confirmed DENV infection. Conclusions: This study identified a cohort of predominantly students, seronegative at study start, living in Medellín and serving as a proxy for a prospective DENV infection traveler population. Laboratory-confirmed primary DENV infection was found in 2% of participants, with <1% reporting febrile illnesses, meeting the WHO criteria for probable clinical dengue cases. Full article
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