Seroprevalence of Dengue infection in febrile patients at a tertiary care centre of Patna

Abstract

Background : Dengue, an arboviral infection emerging as the most important mosquito-borne viral disease. It is a serious global public health problem. Currently there are no licensed vaccines or specific therapeutics to stop its rapid emergence and global spread. There are four serotypes of the virus and all four virus types circulate and cause epidemics. Clinical features of dengue virus infection include continous high fever lasting 2-7 days, rash with haemorrhagic tendency and joint pain. Efficient and accurate diagnosis of dengue is of primary importance for clinical care surveillance activities, outbreak control and vaccine development. For the prevention of dengue and other arboviruses, there is a need of developing and implementing preparedness plans. Dengue vaccines have been under development since the 1940s, but a tetravalent vaccine which simultaneously provides long-term protection against all DV serotypes is round the corner. AIM: To assess Seroprevalence of Dengue infection in febrile patients at a tertiary care centre of Patna. Methods : All clinically suspected patients tested for NS1 Ag & IgM Ab by ELISA. Result: out of 9332 samples tested, 4710 samples tested were positive for dengue infection (50.47%) and the remaining 4622 (49.53%) samples were negative. Conclusion : The seroprevalence of dengue is high especially in post monsoon season. There is a need of special attention by the authorities for the control and prevention.