Seroprevalence of Dengue chikungunya mono infection and co-infection: A hospital-based study from Jabalpur, India

Abstract

Introduction: Dengue and chikungunya infections are one of the most common arboviral infections affecting people globally, including India. Both are vector born viral infections sharing common vector. Hence in areas where both viruses co-circulate, they can be transmitted together. There are few reports discussing the dengue-chikungunya coinfection from cental India, so present study was planned to study the prevalence of dengue chikungunya monoinfection as well as coinfection from this part of the country. Materials and methods: All the samples received in the laboratory were subjected to Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test to detect the presence of immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies against both CHIKV and DENV. Results: Out of total 2009 samples from suspected patients for dengue infection, 192 (9.5%) samples were positive for DENV while CHIK IgM antibodies were positive in 157 (7.8%) patients. Co-infection was seen in 68 (3.4%) cases. Conclusion: Present study suggests co-infections with dengue and chikungunya virus occur in areas where both viruses co-circulate. Both the illness present with overlapping signs and symptoms, making diagnosis and treatment difficult. Repeated outbreaks of both the infections suggest that the epidemiology of these viruses is changing. Thus, in clinically suspected cases it is advisable to test for both viruses for better patient care