Seroprevalence and Evaluation of IgM and NS1 Ag Detection for Early Diagnosis of Dengue Cases in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Abstract

Introduction: Dengue fever, a mosquito borne illness, have grown to pose a serious danger to public health systems in developing nations. The Dengue virus (DENV), a member of the Flavivirus genus has four serotypes that cause the disease which range in severity from subclinical infections to severe disease with high morbidity & mortality. This study aims to assess the seroprevalence of dengue fever cases in a tertiary care hospital from East- Delhi region. Material & Methods: This study was a retrospective observational study conducted in the Department of Microbiology at UCMS & GTBH. The data was collected from laboratory records from a period of Jan 2019 to December 2019. Results: A total of 1449 clinically suspected cases of dengue were tested for the presence of NS1 antigen and IgM antibodies by capture ELISA. This study showed 32.22% (467/1449) seropositivity of dengue infection. Out of 1272, a total of 456 samples were positive for NS1 Ag ELISA. Whereas, out of 177, a total 11 samples were positive for IgM ELISA. Observation: The study highlights the importance of early diagnosis and prompt management of dengue cases to prevent severe disease and reduce morbidity and mortality. This underscores the need for increased awareness, early detection, and appropriate management of dengue fever in endemic areas. especially during the peak months of October and November.