A Study of Neurological Involvement in Dengue and Chikungunya Infection

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) and dengue fever have been reported for recent epidemics worldwide, with varied clinical involvement. Chikungunya was first reported to affect the nervous system in the 1960s. The clinical profile of dengue with multi-organ involvement is varied with reported involvement of the central nervous system in some.

The aim of this study was to study the frequency and pattern of neurological involvement in patients admitted with dengue and chikungunya in a tertiary care hospital.

Patients admitted with confirmed chikungunya and dengue were evaluated clinically and investigations were enrolled in the study. Patients with preexisting neurological issues, obvious metabolic, vascular, or septic causes for neurological involvement were excluded from the study.

A total of 309 patients with chikungunya were included in the study. Out of these, 11 (3.56%) patients were found to have neurological involvement. The most common presentations were altered sensorium (100%) followed by headache (81.81%). The relative risk of mortality in patients with neurological involvement due to chikungunya was 7.96. A total of 443 patients with dengue fever were enrolled in the study. Out of these, 5 (1.10%) patients were found to have neurological involvement. The most common presentations were altered sensorium and headache (100%), followed by vomiting (80%). The relative risk of mortality in patients with neurological involvement due to dengue was 5.15.

The recent epidemic of chikungunya and dengue virus infections was associated with various neurological complications. Neurological involvement of chikungunya and dengue was identified to be a bad prognostic factor with significantly higher mortality.

This is a single center study, involving only the patients admitted to the hospital. Furthermore, being an observational study, follow-up could not be done to look for neurological sequelae.