Abstract Background: Infectious diseases remain a major public health concern in India. Reliable diagnostics and continuous surveillance are essential for detecting outbreaks, monitoring trends, and guiding public health responses. This study assessed trends in diagnostic testing for viral and parasitic infections from 2017 to 2024 at a tertiary care virus research and diagnostic laboratory. Materials and Methods: This retrospective observational study analyzed laboratory records of 19 infectious disease diagnostic tests conducted between 2017 and 2024. Annual data on the total number of tests and positive results were compiled and assessed to identify patterns in testing volume and positivity rates. Results: More than 850,000 diagnostic tests were performed during the study period. A sharp rise in testing occurred in 2020–2021 due to the severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus -2 pandemic. Dengue immunoglobulin (Ig)M testing remained consistently high, peaking in 2024 (3307 tests). Scrub typhus IgM testing increased markedly from 86 tests in 2018 to 2828 in 2024. Screening for hepatitis B and hepatitis C rose steadily, with viral load testing introduced in 2022. A noticeable spike in hepatitis A virus and hepatitis E virus testing occurred in 2024. Other infections, such as chikungunya, leptospirosis, and malaria, showed fluctuating patterns. Conclusions: Diagnostic trends reflect seasonal disease patterns, emerging infections, and public health emergencies, emphasizing the importance of sustained surveillance and laboratory preparedness.
Ramalingam et al. (Thu,) studied this question.
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