Dengue outbreak in Delhi in 2009: study of laboratory and clinical parameters

Dengue infection is endemic in India with frequent epidemics of Dengue Fever/Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever. The outbreaks vary in the commonest serotype in circulation during that period, predominant laboratory findings and clinical manifestations. This study was carried during the outbreak of dengue in Delhi in 2009. Clinical assessment and laboratory investigations were performed and severity of the disease with clinical, haematological parameters and serotypes were correlated. Of 107 patients included in the study, 64 (59.8%) were positive by ELISA. These 64 patients were tested by RT-PCR and 7 were found to be positive. DEN-2 and DEN-4 serotypes were isolated. There was a decreasing trend in mean age of patients with severity of infection. The outbreak was milder as compared to earlier ones in regards of number of cases presenting with clinical manifestations of bleeding. A considerable number of patients presented with unusual findings, namely, ascites, pleural effusion, myocarditis, cholecystitis and pancreatitis. There was no statistically significant difference either in platelet count between various groups or comparison of bleeding with severity of thrombocytopenia. This study provides an insight into the clinico-laboratory findings of the outbreak of dengue in 2009.