Epidemiology of pediatric dengue virus infection, Scenario from a tertiary level hospital in Bangladesh

Background

Dengue fever is the most rapidly spreading mosquito-borne disease and has grown to be a major public health issue, especially in tropical nations like Bangladesh. Globally, children, adolescents, and young adults bear the largest burden of Dengue; the infection rate is highest among infants. However, the epidemiology of pediatric dengue virus infection has been poorly explored in Bangladesh.

Materials and Methods

This study was carried out at the Bangladesh Shishu Hospital & Institute from July to October 2023. Among 1102 admitted patients, 722 who were positive for dengue rapid test were enrolled.

Results

The highest number of positive patients were 1-5 years old (38%) followed by 5-10 years (32%). Vomiting (49%) was most common after fever (100%). 71% of patients showed warning signs, with 17 deaths. All patients received antibiotics, and the number of different antibiotics increased with hospital stay. Real-time RT-PCR was conducted on purposively selected 104 rapid test positives and 50 negatives for serotyping. DENV-2 was the most predominant serotype (80%), followed by DENV-3 (20%).

Conclusion

This study underscored the need for targeted public health interventions, especially for children with warning signs, to address the high burden of pediatric dengue infection in Bangladesh.