DENGUE DIAGNOSIS IN MEXICO - UPDATE AND P ERSPECTIVES

Few diseases have unique clinical findings sufficient to identify them . Dengue fever is not one of them, being necessary the clinical and la boratory support to confirm its diagnosis. Since dengue virus was firs t isolated there has been a worldwide effort to develop cheaper and mo re accurate serologic diagnostic tests. Dengue hemorrhagic fever deser ves closer attention because of its devastating clinical effects and l ethal outcomes. In addition to the wine circulation of serotypes 1, 2 and 4 for over a decade in the Americas, the presence of Den-3 was det ected again in 1994 since its last appearance in 1963 and 1977. Given the high rates of vectorial infestation and the presence of a suscepti ble population, the probability of circulation of this serotype in our continent is high. The present work defines the wide range of diagnos tic methods available today, their advantages and disadvantages, and t heir importance in the epidemiological surveillance of dengue fever in Mexico.