A Retrospective, Prevalence-Based, Descriptive Study of a Rapid Test for the Diagnosis Of Dengue at a 750-Bedded Teaching Hospital in Northern India

Introduction: Acute dengue fever is a seasonal, arboviral disease affecting tropical countries. A moderate, asymptomatic form can progress to severe dengue hemorrhagic fever or dengue shock syndrome. This study describes the prevalence of primary or secondary dengue using rapid diagnostic tests and also demonstrates the seasonal distribution of dengue in the area. Materials and Methods: This study was performed at a teaching hospital in the serology division of the Department of Microbiology. The data of patients suffering from acute febrile illness attending our centre over 6 months were extracted from the laboratory records. All serum samples were subjected to rapid card tests to demonstrate NS1, immunoglobulin G, and immunoglobulin M (IgM) for the diagnosis of primary or secondary dengue. The seasonal distribution of dengue-positive cases in the surrounding regions was also demonstrated. Results: Acute febrile illness affected 138 patients with a mean age of 30.22 ± 14.94 years, and male predominance (90/138, 65.2%). Acute dengue fever was diagnosed by the presence of NS1 antigen in 29.71% (41/138), and 7.97% (11/138) showed IgM antibody. A steady increase in dengue infections was observed from September to November. Conclusions: The combined detection of NS1 antigen and IgM antibody using rapid card tests demonstrated the prevalence of acute febrile illness due to Dengue.