Effect of previous episode of symptomatic dengue infection on recent dengue infection in children

Abstract

Background: Approximately 390 million people worldwide are affected by dengue fever each year, >70% of them are from Asia. It is thought that antibody enhancement during the subsequent infections with dengue virus can cause more severe form of disease called dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF). This study aims to observe the effect of prior dengue infection on recent infection. Methods: This retrospective record based descriptive-analytical study was conducted from July 2021 to December 2021 in paediatrics department of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka. Medical records of all admitted confirmed cases of dengue fever during the study period were reviewed retrospectively to find out past symptomatic dengue infection ,which further verified by parents over phone. Finally 98 patients were analyzed after exclusion. Results: Among 98 studied patients, 45 (45%) experienced DHF and 15 (15.3%) diagnosed with DSS. There was no significant (p>0.05) difference of age and sex between patients of DF, DHF and DSS. Majority of the patients 79 (80.6%) did not have a past history of documented symptomatic dengue infection. Here, 9 (23.6%) out of 38 DF patient, 8 (17.7%) out of 45 DHF patient and only 2 (13.3%) out of 15 patient with DSS had past symptomatic dengue infection. Maximum patients (92, 93.8%) were treated with isotonic fluid, 39 patients got colloid (39, 36.79%). This study found no significant (p>0.05) difference between DF, DHF and DSS with or without past symptomatic dengue infection. Conclusions: In our study we noticed that there was no increase in dengue morbidity with documented previous symptomatic dengue infection.