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Hospitalizations from dengue fever in Pakistan increased since 2006
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LONDON — A shift from mild illness to a more severe manifestation of dengue fever has been observed during the last three outbreaks of the disease in Pakistan in 2006, 2008 and 2011.
Malik Asif Humayun, MBBS, of the Jinnah Hospital in Lahore, Pakistan, and colleagues conducted a retrospective study that analyzed data from two tertiary care hospitals in Lahore from 2006 to 2011. They compared the clinical and pathological data of patients with dengue fever during outbreaks.
“Dengue fever is one of the most important vector-borne diseases in Pakistan,” Humayun said during his presentation here. “The first outbreak in Lahore was reported in 2006, followed by large outbreaks in 2008, 2010 and 2011.”
The number of dengue cases increased significantly during this time period: 113 in 2006; 232 in 2007; 1,407 in 2008; 5,600 in 2010; and 15,697 in 2011.
The number of hospital admissions related to dengue cases also increased significantly, from 25 hospital admissions in 2006 to 4,987 admissions in 2011.
Two different dengue serotypes were identified during the 2006 outbreak: DEN 2 and DEN 3. During the outbreaks of 2008 and 2010, these two serotypes were identified, along with a third serotype, DEN 4.
“These data indicate a shift from mild illness toward a more severe manifestation of the disease,” Humayun said. “That could be interpreted as an epidemiologic transition pattern and a sign of hyperendemicity of the dengue virus in Punjab and other regions of the country.”
References:
- Humayun MA. #O466. Presented at: 22nd European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases; March 31-April 3, 2012; London.
Disclosure: Dr. Humayun reports no relevant financial disclosures