A study of trend of incidence of dengue cases attending a tertiary care hospital in urban Maharashtra

Abstract

Background: Presently, dengue is one of the most important mosquito-borne viral diseases in the world. The burden of the disease has drastically risen over the years with over 70% contributed by the Asia region. India is endemic to the disease and all four serotypes of the virus have been isolated from the country. This study aimed to describe the trends of incidence of dengue cases at a tertiary care hospital in urban Maharashtra.Methods: Retrospective data analysis with respect to admitted dengue cases in the preceding five years was carried out from the records available at the hospital. Year-wise trend as well as correlation with average monthly rainfall were also analysed.Results: The number of admitted cases of dengue showed a rising trend which was statistically significant. The study brought forth a change in the seasonality of occurrence of cases. The number of cases also showed a positive and statistically significant correlation with the monthly average rainfall in the Madhya Maharashtra region.Conclusions: There is evidence for an increase in the burden of dengue. With the overall number, there is also change in seasonality of the disease, indicating a requirement of control measures to be instituted earlier than the usual pre-monsoon period. The rising burden will pose a public health challenge and requires tailormade remedial activities taking into consideration various factors associated.