Dengue Branch

What is the Mission of the Dengue Branch?

The mission of the Dengue Branch is to 1) develop and maintain national and international surveillance for dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever; 2) provide laboratory reference and diagnostic services to local, state, national, and international health agencies; 3) provide epidemic aid and investigate dengue epidemics; 4) conduct field and laboratory research on the biology, behavior, and control of Aedes aegypti and other mosquito vectors of dengue; 5) conduct research on and provide consultation and assistance to local, state, national, and international health agencies on improved methods for surveillance, prevention, and control of epidemic dengue; 6) provide training in laboratory and clinical diagnosis, and on surveillance, prevention, and control of dengue; 7) develop, implement, and evaluate new community-based intervention strategies for prevention of epidemic dengue; 8) function as a WHO Collaborating Center for Reference and Research on Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever.

• Diagnostic and Reference Section: 1) Provides reference and diagnostic services to local, state, national, and international health agencies; 2) maintains virologic surveillance for dengue viruses in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands; 3) provides authoritative advice on the laboratory diagnosis of dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever; 4) conducts research to develop new diagnostic tests that are more sensitive and specific; 5) conducts research on dengue virus nucleic acid sequence variation and gene evolution to support epidemiologic investigation; 6) provides laboratory training on the virologic and serologic diagnosis of dengue; 7) serves the diagnostic and reference functions of the WHO Collaborating Center for Reference and Research on Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever.
• Entomology Section: 1) Conducts field and laboratory research on the biology, behavior, surveillance and control of the mosquito vectors of dengue viruses with emphasis on Aedes aegypti; 2) provides consultation and assistance on mosquito surveillance and control to local, state, national, and international health agencies; and 3) provides training on Aedes aegypti biology, behavior, surveillance and control; 4) serves the entomologic and ecologic investigation functions of the WHO Collaborating Center for Reference and Research on Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever.
• Epidemiology Section: 1) Develops and maintains clinical and epidemiologic surveillance for dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever; 2) develops new and improved methods of surveillance in Puerto Rico; 3) investigates and provides assistance on epidemics of dengue and other related arbovirus diseases; 4) conducts epidemiologic field research on risk factors for epidemic transmission; 5) provides training in surveillance and epidemiologic methods for local, state, national, and international health agencies; 6) serves the epidemiologic investigation and clinical consultative functions of the WHO Collaborating Center for Reference and Research on Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever.