Mania in dengue fever

Anurag Jhanjee1, M S Bhatia, Shruti Srivastava

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, UCMS & GTB Hospital, Dilshad Garden, Delhi, India.

Insights

Dengue fever, a mosquito-borne illness, can cause neurological symptoms. This case study details a patient who developed mania after dengue infection, highlighting a rare psychiatric complication.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Psychiatry
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Dengue fever (break bone fever) is a mosquito-borne viral infection causing severe flu-like symptoms.
  • Increasing reports link dengue to unusual manifestations, particularly neurological symptoms.
  • Psychiatric morbidity during acute dengue infection is rarely documented, with no systemic studies on sequelae prevalence.

Observation:

  • A 28-year-old male experienced an acute dengue infection.
  • Following the infection, the patient developed an episode of mania.

Findings:

  • This case highlights mania as a potential psychiatric sequela of dengue fever.
  • The patient's manic episode was successfully treated, indicating potential therapeutic responses.

Implications:

  • This case underscores the importance of considering psychiatric complications in dengue patients.
  • Further research is needed to understand the prevalence and patterns of psychiatric sequelae post-dengue.
  • Recognizing these neurological and psychiatric links can improve patient diagnosis and management.

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