“The vaccine candidate to fight dengue is based on recombinant proteins: a safe technological platform,” CIGB tweeted.

“We are currently assessing a tetravalent candidate, based on proteins of the four dengue viruses,” CIGB added.

Whether infection level by the dengue virus – that is, the viral load – is lowered, severity is avoided; even symptomatology.

“This is what we are betting on with the new vaccine candidate: that the disease is subclinical or with mild symptoms,” according to CIGB.

Obtaining the vaccine is a complex process, because dengue has four serotypes and it is necessary to immunize against each of them at the same time for the product to be effective.

A new system for rapid diagnosis of dengue should be available in 2023.

In statements to Granma newspaper, Eduardo Martínez, president of the Biotechnological and Pharmaceutical Industries Business Group, argued that such a system would make it possible to determine, upon the appearance of the first symptoms, whether it is dengue or a second infection.

According to Martínez, this will be useful to apply a differentiated treatment to patients and avoid death.

pll/ro/joe