Features of Dengue and Chikungunya Infections of Colombian Children under 24 Months of Age Admitted to the Emergency Department

Abstract

We aimed to assess clinical and laboratory differences between dengue and chikungunya in children <24 months of age in a comparative study. We collected retrospective clinical and laboratory data confirmed by NS1/IgM for dengue for 19 months (1 January 2013 to 17 August 2014). Prospective data for chikungunya confirmed by real-time polymerase chain reaction were collected for 4 months (22 September 2014-14 December 2014). Sensitivity and specificity [with 95% confidence interval (CI)] were reported for each disease diagnosis. A platelet count <150 000 cells/ml at emergency admission best characterized dengue, with a sensitivity of 67% (95% CI, 53-79) and specificity of 95% (95% CI, 82-99). The algorithm developed with classification and regression tree analysis showed a sensitivity of 93% (95% CI, 68-100) and specificity of 38% (95% CI, 9-76) to diagnose dengue. Our study provides potential differential characteristics between chikungunya and dengue in young children, especially low platelet counts.

Technical and Alarm signs for referral in adult patients with acute febrile illness: A study from a tertiary care hospital in North India

“…Presence of arthralgia and leucopenia was associated with milder variants of disease, probably because these features are more commonly associated with chikungunya (compared to dengue) which rarely has severe manifestations. [ 13 ]…”

Genomic epidemiology of Chikungunya virus in Colombia reveals genetic variability of strains and multiple geographic introductions in outbreak, 2014

“…Between September and December 2014 during the epidemic outbreak in the Caribbean area of Colombia, a collection of 57 sera was selected 20,41 . Thirty-six sera were from Cartagena (Department of Bolivar), 19 from Ovejas (Department of Sucre), 1 from San Joaquin-Mahates (Department of Bolivar) and 1 from Planeta Rica (Department of Córdoba).…”

Situation of Dengue after the Phenomenon of the Coastal El Niño

“…This being an area with low endemicity, but as a result of coastal El Niño, it could mean a majority of primary infection, and therefore this high rate of clinical diagnostic correlation [26]. In addition, it is important to know the behavior in children under 5 years of age, in which many of them have antigens from mothers in endemic areas, which leads to more severe manifestations being possible in this particular age group [32].…”