Clinical observations on virologically confirmed fatal dengue infections in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Thirty virologically confirmed cases of dengue infection with a fatal outcome were studied clinically in Jakarta, Indonesia, from 1975 to 1978. All 4 dengue virus serotypes were isolated from fatal cases, but dengue type 3 was responsible for 21 (70%) of these isolates, compared to only 47% of isolates from all cases of dengue infection. The majority (60%) of these 30 cases were males in the 5-9-year age group. Nonspecific signs and symptoms in the fatal cases were no different from those in patients who survived dengue infection, but 70% of the patients with fatal outcome had one or more signs of encephalitis, primarily convulsions and somnolence; 3 of them developed spastic tetraparesis before death and 2 died of an illness clinically compatible with viral encephalitis. Other unexpected observations were that only 63% of the patients had classical dengue shock syndrome with haemoconcentration, thrombocytopenia and shock. A high percentage (80%) had gastrointestinal haemorrhage, and in 9 patients (30%) this was severe enough to cause shock and death. In these 9 cases, the gastrointestinal haemorrhage and haematemesis began before the onset of shock and there was no evidence of haemoconcentration or pleural effusion at any time during hospitalization. According to certain widely accepted criteria, these patients would not be diagnosed as dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF). But as they made up nearly one-third of the confirmed fatal dengue infections in this study and had massive gastrointestinal haemorrhages with thrombocytopenia, the definition of DHF should be changed to include this type of patient. It is proposed that the disease should be more realistically classified as dengue fever with or without haemorrhage and dengue shock syndrome.

Dengue hemorrhagic fever accompanied by encephalopathy in Jakarta.

Forty one cases of dengue hemorrhagic fever, confirmed by viral isolation, accompanied by neurological signs compatible to the diagnosis of acute encephalopathy were observed in 3 University Hospitals in Jakarta during the period November 1975 to December 1977. Two of these children showed typical signs and symptoms of Reye's syndrome confirmed by liver biopsy.

Virological surveillance for dengue haemorrhagic fever in Indonesia using the mosquito inoculation technique.

A dengue haemorrhagic fever surveillance system in Indonesia, based on virological and clinical observations, is described. The system uses the mosquito inoculation technique for virus isolation and is simple, economical, and well suited for endemic areas where support and facilities are limited. The data suggest that with good cooperation between the hospital and the virology laboratory, new serotypes and possibly even new strains of virus can be identified before the onset of epidemic activity. This type of virological surveillance may make it possible to prevent major epidemics in the future.