Sero-diagnosis of dengue infections in four metropolitan cities of Bangladesh
Amin, M.M.M.; Hussain, A.M.Z.; Nahar, K.; Chowdhury, I.A.; Murshed, M.; Chowdhury, S.A.
Dengue Bulletin 24: 29-33
2000
Document Number: 625033
A sero-diagnostic study of dengue infection was undertaken in 4 large cities of Bangladesh during September-October 1999. Selected patients suffering from viral fever, attending the outpatient and inpatient departments of medical colleges of the 4 selected cities, i.e. Rajshahi, Khulna, Sylhet and Chittagong, were the sample units. The study population was selected following case inclusion and exclusion criteria. The samples were tested for anti-dengue IgM. A total of 200 blood samples were collected from the 4 hospitals. Among them, 107 were male and 93 female. A total of 35 (17.5%) samples were interpreted as reactive. Chittagong topped the list with 12 (34.3%) reactive samples. Khulna came second with 11 (31.43%) reactive samples. Out of the 35 reactive samples, males contracted dengue virus more frequently (62.86%) than the females (37.14%). Children (age 5-9.9 years) were found to be most vulnerable as 16 (45.7%) reactive samples belonged to them, followed by >15-year age group ((8) 22.86%) and 1-4.9-year-old children ((6) 17.14%). This study proved that many dengue cases go unreported and our physicians obviously are not very much acquainted with this disease of public health importance.