Outbreak of dengue fever in Mangla and Mirpur area

ABSTRACT

Dengue virus infection has been endemic in Pakistan. An outbreak of febrile illness associated with thrombocytopenia was reported from Mangla and adjoining areas in vicinity of Mangla Dam during July-August 2003. We carried out a serological investigation of the outbreak by serosurveillance. Sera from 52 representative cases were received for viral studies at our institute. Aim of the study was to rule out dengue infection in these cases. Descriptive laboratory based. Department of Virology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Rawalpindi. According to clinical history all the, patients had fever of 3-10 days duration associated with thrombocytopenia. Suspecting Dengue infection, their acute sera were tested for Dengue IgM, by the kit manufactured by Diagnostic Automation Inc., Dengue virus IgM ELISA USA. Among 52 single sera from these cases. Dengue IgM antibodies were detected in 38[73%] cases. Among the sero-positive cases, 7[18.4%] had Vivax malaria. 32[84%] were males with mean age of 34 years and 6[16%] were females with mean age of 27 years. Platelets were below 150,000/micro l in all the cases. Occurrence of Dengue fever in northern Pakistan has been documented and this should now be considered in the differential diagnosis of undiagnosed cases of fever, moreover concomitant malaria infection emphasizes the need for sustainable, community-based mosquito control