EPIDEMIOLOGY OF DENGUE AND CHIKUNGUNYA INFECTION IN BANGALORE, KARNATAKA - 2024

Background: Dengue and Chikungunya viral infection is emerging as a serious public health problem in Karnataka. An enhanced testing facility can generate information on the epidemiology of the dengue disease, which is mandatory for planning and development of relevant control & preventive action against Dengue and Chikungunya.

Materials and Methods: A prospective study was carried out between January 2024 to December 2024, by testing suspected Dengue and Chikungunya patients attending Private Medical College & Hospital in Bangalore, Karnataka, India) to define the status of Dengue burden, the natural history of this disease in terms of clinical presentation and outcome of the infections in hospitalized Dengue and Chikungunya patients. The sample received from suspected patients were analyzed for Dengue and Chikungunya specific RTPCR using Fast Track Diagnostic kit (FTD Tropical Fever Kit) and Dengue subtyping were performed with type specific primer using High resolution melt cure analysis and gel electrophoresis. The clinical case described by World Health Organization (WHO) was adopted to classify the Dengue cases.

Results: The total number of samples tested during the period was 547, out of which 32 (5.8%) were positive for Dengue and 55 (10.1 %) for Chikungunya. By clinical evaluation, Dengue fever (DF) was diagnosed in 25 patients, 5 had hemorrhagic manifestations and 2 patients had progressed to DSS. Though (DSS+DHF) was present in 32 patients, all of them recovered well.

Conclusion: In developing countries like India, building of diagnostic laboratory with advanced facility for diagnosis and combat-mode ready preparedness for the management of Dengue cases in emergency situation may reduce Dengue-related mortality.