NEW DELHI: As India moves towards introducing a dengue vaccine by next year, the country's first nationwide mapping of dengue virus strains has found all four serotypes circulating simultaneously in eight states and UTs, a development researchers say could influence vaccine strategy as infections with multiple strains are associated with more severe disease.

According to the study, all four dengue serotypes (DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3 and DENV-4) were detected simultaneously in Andhra, Gujarat, Haryana, MP, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. Fifteen other states and UTs had three serotypes in circulation, while two reported circulation of two serotypes.

About 7% of patients were infected with two or more dengue serotypes simultaneously.

Anuja Jaiswal is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Times of India, with an impressive 18-year career in narrative journalism. She specializes in health and heritage reporting, expertly simplifying complex health information to make it engaging and understandable for readers. Her deep dives into heritage topics are well-researched, resulting in captivating narratives that resonate with her audience. Over the years, she has worked in Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh and West UP, gaining diverse on-ground experience that shapes her storytelling.