Severe Manifestations of Chikungunya Fever in Children, India, 2016

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Infectious Diseases
• Virology

Background:

• Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) infection is typically considered a benign, self-limiting illness.
• Severe manifestations of chikungunya fever, particularly in pediatric populations, are infrequently reported in existing literature.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a cohort of pediatric patients diagnosed with chikungunya fever.
• To document the occurrence of severe sepsis and septic shock in these children during the acute illness phase.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective case series analysis.
• Clinical data collection from pediatric chikungunya fever patients.
• Identification and documentation of severe sepsis and septic shock criteria.

Main Results:

• A cohort of pediatric patients with chikungunya fever was identified.
• A significant subset of these patients developed severe sepsis and septic shock.
• These severe complications occurred during the acute phase of the chikungunya infection.

Conclusions:

• Chikungunya fever in children can present with severe systemic complications, including sepsis and septic shock.
• The acute phase of chikungunya virus infection poses a risk for critical illness in pediatric patients.
• Further research is warranted to understand and manage severe chikungunya manifestations in children.