Epidemiology of Dengue Fever among clinically Suspected Febrile Patients at A Tertiary Care Center in Punjab

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objective: Dengue has emerged as a major public health concern across the globe in terms of mortality and morbidity. The clinical and epidemiological profile of dengue infection changes from time to time. The study was conducted to determine the prevalence of dengue infection, to study the seasonal variation and the clinical profile in these cases. Methods: A prospective, observational study conducted over a period from April 2015 to March 2016. Patients with acute febrile illness with clinical suspicion of dengue fever admitted in the hospital were included in the study. Serological tests like Dengue IgM and NS1 antigen ELISA were performed to confirm the diagnosis. Serologically confirmed patients of dengue fever were studied for their clinical presentation and lab parameters. Results: From a total 4732 patients tested for dengue viral infection, 1165 (24.6%) tested positive for dengue. The most affected age group was 26-35 years (25.7%) with male predominance. Most dengue cases were seen in the months of August to December 2015. Commonly clinical symptoms and signs were myalgia (72.4%), arthralgia (34.4%), vomiting (50%), abdominal pain (38.6%), hepatomegaly (27.4%) and ascites (10.8%). Lab parameters revealed leukopenia (43%) and thrombocytopenia (93.1%) in most cases. Transaminitis was seen in 84.1% cases. Common complications were shock (4.8%) and encephalopathy (4.8%). Hepatic failure was seen in 3.7% of patients and renal failure in 1.8% of patients. Conclusion: Dengue fever has a very non-specific and variable presentation. Knowledge of local prevalence and recent outbreaks can be very helpful in recognizing the clinical entity. J Microbiol Infect Dis 2018; 8(2):43-48