August 18, 2020

Potential Antigenic Cross-Reactivity between SARS-CoV-2 and Dengue Viruses

Category: Article Summary

Topic: Testing and Treatment

• A study in Israel identified potential cross-reactivity between dengue viruses and SARS-CoV-2 by testing serum samples from 55 COVID-19 patients for dengue antibodies and detecting 12 positive cases. In comparison, there were no positives for dengue among serum samples obtained from 70 healthy individuals prior to September 2019 (p < 0.001). In a complementary analysis, 22% (21 of 95) of serum samples obtained prior to September 2019 from patients with diagnosis of past dengue fever were positive on SARS-CoV-2 IgG or IgA antibody tests compared to 4% (4 of 102) of healthy controls (p < 0.001). The investigators suggest that potential cross-reactivity between dengue viruses and SARS-CoV-2 could lead to false positive tests. 

Lustig et al. (Aug 14, 2020). Potential Antigenic Cross-Reactivity between SARS-CoV-2 and Dengue Viruses. Clinical Infectious Diseases. https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciaa1207