Dengue epidemic characteristics and vaccine research progress: a review

Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne viral infectious disease transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes carrying the dengue virus (DENV). It is currently prevalent in over 100 tropical and subtropical countries and regions, and was listed by the WHO as one of the "Top Ten Global Health Threats" in 2019. DENV has four serotypes, all of which can cause dengue fever. Secondary infection with a different serotype often leads to more severe clinical symptoms, making dengue vaccine development challenging. Currently, there are no specific drugs for the treatment of dengue fever, and vaccine development remains the preferred strategic approach for prevention and control. This review summarizes the basic characteristics, epidemiological features, infection and immune responses, and current status of dengue vaccine development, and analyzes the challenges faced in dengue vaccine development, providing a reference for future dengue prevention and control and related research.