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In recent months, India has been facing a rapid surge in dengue cases. This situation is particularly concerning in states such as West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Delhi, Haryana, and Punjab. The increase in dengue infections is attributed to heavy rainfall and waterlogging in various regions. However, a study suggests that the presence of COVID-19 antibodies might be intensifying the severity of this vector-borne disease.
Conducted at the Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI) under the Department of Biotechnology of the Central government, the analysis titled ‘SARS-CoV-2 antibodies cross-react and enhance dengue infection’ has been published on bioRxiv, a preprint server for medical sciences. The study notes, “This study is the first to demonstrate that anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies can cross-react with DENV-2 (dengue virus 2) and can enhance its infection through antibody-dependent enhancement (the ability of antibodies from a previous infection to help a virus infect greater numbers of cells than it would have on its own).”
