However, the serologic status of the human population needs to be further investigated. Characterization of the isolated viral strain would be of interest for dengue epidemiology. Complete sequencing of the viral RNA is in progress in our laboratory. Human infection with dengue virus has been rarely reported and studied in West Africa, and the epidemiology of serotype 1 is poorly documented. In Africa, outside the epidemics of yellow fever, it is difficult to isolate arboviruses from adult humans.
Isolation is often more successful from children or naive expatriates.
Accordingly, soldiers participating in international operations constitute a very exposed population. Thirty-nine dengue 2 and three dengue 3 strains were isolated from 96 collected sera. We thank F. Tock and S. Guesdon for technical assistance and D. Gubler and N. Karabatsos for the monoclonal antibodies used for virus typing. This work was supported by the D l gation G n rale L'Armement. Gubler DJ, Kuno G. Dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever.