Dengue viruses circulating in Indonesia: A systematic review and phylogenetic analysis of data from five decades

Although epidemiological and molecular epidemiological (serotype, genotype, and lineage information) data are available for several major cities in Indonesia, there is yet to be a comprehensive national study of dengue in Indonesia over time. This study was conducted to provide a comprehensive epidemiology of circulating dengue viruses (DENV) in Indonesia between 1973 and 2016. This was conducted through a systematic review of the literature and phylogenetic analysis of available DENV sequences. Available data from National Disease Surveillance System have indicated an increasing trend of dengue incidence in Indonesia over the past 50 years. Incidence rates appear to be cyclic, peaking approximately every 6 to 8 years. In contrast, the case fatality rate has decreased approximately by half with each decade since 1980. Over this 50-year time span, serotype shifts, genotype displacement within DENV-1 and DENV-2, and introduction of DENV-1 and DENV-3 genotype from other countries occurred. These events were associated with increased incidence of dengue cases. Our study also provides a valuable national snapshot of DENV genetic diversity in Indonesia that may contribute to development of more effective dengue vaccine compositions for the region.