New evidence that dengue antibodies trigger life-threatening infections
By Jon CohenNov. 2, 2017 , 2:10 PM
It’s a disease theory fit for a spy novel: Protective antibodies can turn double agent, teaming up with the dengue virus to make an infection more severe, even life-threatening. First proposed more than 40 years ago, antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) has won over many doubters but still has impassioned skeptics. Now, a finding from a large, long-term study in Nicaraguan children adds compelling evidence that ADE is real, occurring when people previously infected with dengue—and with the right level and type of dengue antibodies still in their blood—become infected again.
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/11/dengue-antibodies-might-trigger-life-threatening-infections
