Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh: Amid the rise in the number of hospitalizations due to dengue fever in the city, doctors have detected the virulent D2 strain of the dengue virus, known to cause fatal hemorrhage. This fact came to light in the serotype testing of blood samples of dengue-positive patients by the microbiology department of SGPGIMS under the National Vector-borne Disease Control Program.

Medical experts have stated that the D2 strain of the dengue virus (serotype 2 or DENV-2) is known to be the most virulent strain and can cause severe disease. They added that the D2 variant was the reason behind the surge in fever cases and deaths in the western UP districts of Firozabad, Agra, Mathura, and Aligarh in October of last year.

Dr. Vinita Mittal, faculty at community medicine in RMLIMS, stated that D2 causes high-grade fever, vomiting, joint pains, and an altered sensorium and may even lead to lethal complications resulting in dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) and dengue shock syndrome (DSS). 

(Source: https://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/diagnostics/dengues-most-harmful-d2-variant-found-in-most-patients-in-the-lucknow/95614312 )