Publication:

Seroprevalence of dengue virus in a tertiary care hospital, Andhra Pradesh, South India

Background Dengue fever and Dengue Haemorrhagic fever (DF/DHF) is an acute viral disease caused by Dengue virus. The infection is transmitted by the bite of an infected female mosquito- Aedes aegypti. The Dengue virus causes significant morbidity and mortality in many parts of the world, including India, where it was first isolated in Calcutta, West Bengal during 1945. This study was conducted to know the seroprevalence of Dengue virus in a tertiary care hospital, HyderabadMethods: Blood for serological studies are carefully collected taking due universal precautions from suspected DF/DHF cases (a) as soon as possible after hospital admission or attendance. All the patients were screened for anti-Dengue IgG and IgM antibodies By Enzyme Immunoassay. The study period was 18 months from 2012.

Results From a total of 1327serum samples tested were screened for Dengue IgM and IgG among which 706(53.2%) were positive. 125(17.7%) were only IgM positive and 198(28.05%) of the tested samples showed only IgG positive. 383(54.25%) of the tested samples revealed positive for both IgM and IgG antibodies.

Conclusion Surveillance is prerequisite for monitoring the dengue situation in the area and should be carried out regularly for early detection of an impending outbreak and to initiate timely preventive and control measures.