Trends and insights in dengue virus research globally: a bibliometric analysis (1995-2023)

Abstract

Background: Dengue virus (DENV) is the most widespread arbovirus. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared dengue one of the top 10 global health threats in 2019. However, it has been underrepresented in bibliometric analyses. This study employs bibliometric analysis to identify research hotspots and trends, offering a comprehensive overview of the current research dynamics in this field.

Results: We present a report spanning from 1995 to 2023 that provides a unique longitudinal analysis of Dengue virus (DENV) research, revealing significant trends and shifts not extensively covered in previous literature. A total of 10,767 DENV-related documents were considered, with a notable increase in publications, peaking at 747 articles in 2021. Plos Neglected Tropical Diseases has become the leading journal in Dengue virus research, publishing 791 articles in this field-the highest number recorded. Our bibliometric analysis provides a comprehensive mapping of DENV research across multiple dimensions, including vector ecology, virology, and emerging therapies. The study delineates a complex network of immune response genes, including IFNA1, DDX58, IFNB1, STAT1, IRF3, and NFKB1, highlighting significant trends and emerging themes, particularly the impacts of climate change and new outbreaks on disease transmission. Our findings detail the progress and current status of key vaccine candidates, including the licensed Dengvaxia, newer vaccines such as Qdenga and TV003, and updated clinical trials. The study underscores significant advancements in antiviral therapies and vector control strategies for dengue, highlighting innovative drug candidates such as AT-752 and JNJ-1802, and the potential of drug repurposing with agents like Ribavirin, Remdesivir, and Lopinavir. Additionally, it discusses biological control methods, including the introduction of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes and gene-editing technologies.

Conclusion: This bibliometric study underscores the critical role of interdisciplinary collaboration in advancing DENV research, identifying key trends and areas needing further exploration, including host-virus dynamics, the development and application of antiviral drugs and vaccines, and the use of artificial intelligence. It advocates for strengthened partnerships across various disciplines to effectively tackle the challenges posed by DENV.

Keywords: Antiviral therapies; Bibliometric Analysis; Dengue Virus (DENV); Global Research Trends; Vaccine Development; Vector Control Strategies.

Fig. 1

Flowchart Illustrating the Document Selection and Analysis Process for Dengue Virus Research

Fig. 2

Overview of Dengue Virus (DENV) Research Publication Trends and Distributions. (a) Temporal trends in publications from 1980 to 2020; (b) classification of these publications into journal quartiles from 1995 to 2023, using Journal Citation Reports (JCR) rankings; (c) geographical distribution of these publications by continent, categorized by the same journal quartiles. Quartiles are determined by the journal’s rank within its category, divided by the total number of journals in that category, and expressed as a percentile: Q1 (top 25%), Q2 (25–50%), Q3 (50–75%), and Q4 (bottom 25%). For journals spanning multiple WOS categories, the harmonic mean of Category Expected Citations is used to determine quality

Fig. 3

Global Collaboration in Dengue Virus (DENV) Research from 1995 to 2023. (a) Displays the top 20 countries ranked by the number of corresponding authors in DENV research. (b) Showcases a VOSviewer network visualization of international co-authorship among these countries, where each country is represented as a node. The size of each node indicates the quantity of publications or the centrality in the collaborative network—larger nodes suggest higher publication outputs or more extensive collaboration. Links between nodes illustrate collaborative relationships, and node colors denote clusters of countries with frequent research collaborations in DENV

Fig. 4

Keyword Analyses in Dengue Virus-Related Publications from 1995 to 2023. (a) A co-occurrence network of 16,833 unique keywords with 58 keywords occurring more than 200 times, organized into six color-coded clusters. (b) An overlay visualization showing the temporal progression of keywords, with early keywords in blue and more recent ones in yellow. (c) A heatmap detailing the trends of keyword usage over the study period. (d) A co-occurrence cluster analysis focusing on genes associated with the Dengue virus

Fig. 5

Dual Map Overlay of Journals in Dengue Virus Research. This visualization illustrates the thematic distribution and citation flows among disciplines involved in Dengue studies. It highlights key citation trajectories between journals in Molecular Biology, Genetics, and other related fields, showcasing the interconnectivity of medical, clinical, and biological research in advancing our understanding of Dengue