Introduction: Dengue virus of the Flaviviridae family is the
causative agent of dengue fever. The Aedes aegypti mosquito
is the main vector for its transmission. Though, the cases of
dengue fever are mild and self-resolving, there can be fatal
complications like Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever (DHF) and
Dengue Shock Syndrome (DSS).
Aim: To study the trends in the seroprevalence of dengue in
serum samples of suspected cases.
Materials and Methods: The present study was a crosssectional study which was conducted from January 2017 to
December 2019, at Belagavi Institute of Medical Sciences
(BIMS), Belagavi, Karnataka, India. The serum samples were
collected from suspected dengue fever cases and tested by
Immunoglobulin M (IgM) capture Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent
Assay (ELISA), to detect IgM antibody against dengue virus and
NS1 capture ELISA for dengue NS1 (nonstructural protein 1)
antigen using ELISA kits manufactured by National Institute of
Virology (NIV), Pune. The tests were performed according to the
manufacturer’s instruction. The data obtained from the study
was analysed using descriptive statistics.
Results: A total of 8,992 serum samples were tested over a
period of three years, of which 1,340 (14.90%) were positive for
dengue infection. Among which 1,048 (78.21%) were positive
for anti-dengue IgM antibodies, 109 (8.13%) were positive for
NS1 antigen and 183 (13.66%) were positive for both. Most
affected age group was 11-20 years and male to female ratio
was 1.18:1. The seasonal peak was observed in monsoon i.e.
month of June (15.52%) followed by August (12.02%).
Conclusion: Seroprevalence of dengue infection being critical
signifies the importance of detection of both IgM antibodies
and NS1 antigen for diagnosis of dengue infection. The study
also identifies younger population being at higher risk and also
monsoon as the most favourable season for viral transmission
in this region and highlights the importance of concerted efforts
towards disease control and prevention
