Molecular epidemiology of dengue fever cases imported into Romania between 2008 and 2013.

Background: Dengue fever is the commonest arthropod-borne infection worldwide. In recent years, rapid growth in global air travel has resulted in a considerable increase in the incidence of imported cases. In Romania it is now the second most frequent cause for hospitalization (after malaria) in patients arriving from tropical regions. Methods: Serological and molecular diagnostics were applied to samples obtained between 2008 and 2013 from travelers with suspected dengue. Molecular typing was performed by RT-PCR followed by sequencing of the E-NS1 junction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]