Enhancing Dengue Surveillance in Remote Tribal Communities of Chhattisgarh through Integrated Serological Diagnostics: An Observational Approach

A BSTRACT Introduction: Dengue fever is a significant public health issue, affecting nearly 100 million people globally each year. Aim: This study investigates dengue infection trends, particularly focusing on thrombocytopenia and neurological symptoms in confirmed cases. Materials and Methods: A total of 1,558 blood samples were collected from probable dengue patients. Serological tests for NS1 antigen detection and IgM/IgG antibody titers were performed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: In total, 166 samples (10.65%) out of 1,558 tested positive for dengue. IgM showed the highest positivity (40.47%), followed by NS1 antigen (37.5%). Males were more frequently affected than females, with a male-to-female ratio of 1.8:1. The age group of 21–30 years accounted for the largest number of cases (32.14%). Thrombocytopenia was observed in 88.09% of dengue-positive cases, with 26.19% having platelet counts below 50,000 cells/cumm. A few pediatric patients displayed severe neurological complications, including encephalitis, meningitis, and encephalopathy. Conclusion: This study highlights the importance of using IgG/IgM ratios to differentiate primary from secondary dengue infections; in addition, to control the severity of the disease, regular thrombocyte measurement is required and is highly recommended.