For approximately 50% of travelers presenting with fever after travel to the tropics, no etiological agent is identified. One of the most common pathogens in this group is dengue virus, which can potentially lead to very severe disease. We have identified an immunological signature that can potentially selectively identify dengue virus infection. We would now like to investigate a large cohort (n = approx 200) of samples with unknown etiologies for this immunological pattern to assess the specificity and sensitivity of the method.

The work would more specifically include:
1) Evaluate unknown (and known Dengue positive) samples for cytokine signature.
2) Isolate RNA from plasma and perform Dengue-specific PCR.
3) Evaluate presence/absence of Dengue-specific antibodies in plasma.