1Associate Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Cum Nodal Officer, National Vector Borne Disease Control Program and Integrated Disease Surveillance Project
2Professor and Head, Department of Community Medicine, Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Sri Amritsar
3Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Sri Amritsar
4Junior Resident (3rd Year Post Graduate Student), Department of Community Medicine, Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Sri Amritsar
*Corresponding author: Dr. S L Mahajan, Associate Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Cum Nodal Offi cer, National Vector Borne Disease Control Program and Integrated Disease Surveillance Project.
Online published on 26 April, 2016.
Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Sri-Amritsar (SGRDIMSAR) is a tertiary health care institution. Dengue is a viral disease, transmitted by the infective bite of Aedes Aegypti mosquito Dengue cases and deaths in the country and in Punjab have shown a rising trend since 2009 with fluctuations in intervening years. Studies on suspected cases of dengue conducted in Ludhiana and Amritsar districts in year 2008 showed that most of cases were reported in residents of urban areas but with the start of its spread to a rural area Kumkalan in Ludhiana district. Higher number of suspected cases was found in males. Most of cases were found in adult age groups and the least in infants. Majority of cases were reported in months of October and November. Another study conducted on confirmed cases of dengue reported in years 2009 to 2013, showed a rising trend of dengue except for the year 2012. Other results were similar to studies of suspected cases found in Ludhiana and Amritsar district in year 2008. Medical colleges of Punjab were involved in implementation of National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme in year 2013. The present study was aimed to assess the epidemiological features of the dengue patients treated in SGRDIMSAR.
Isolation wards of dengue having beds covered with bed nets were established in SGRDIMSAR in August, 2013 to prevent spread of dengue infection. The epidemiological data of dengue cases were collected, analyzed and the valid conclusions were drawn. The serum samples for confirmation of dengue were tested in Government Medical College, Amritsar.
Physicians referred 298 patients to laboratory for dengue tests. Among these 93 patients were found confirmed cases of dengue. There was 1 case of dengue haemorragic fever (DHF), no case of dengue shock syndrome (DSS) and death. The maximum numbers of cases were found in the adult age groups and no case in infants and under five year children. Higher number of male cases and rural cases was found. The maximum number of cases was found in month of October followed by November and September. From 4 districts of Punjab, the cases of dengue got treatment from this institute and the maximum number of cases belonged to district Amritsar.
Age wise distribution of dengue patients is similar to the study conducted on dengue cases in district Amritsar from years 2009 to 2013. Higher percentage of male cases found might be due to that less number of females come to hospitals for treatment and males are more exposed to Aedes mosquito bites during the day. As this study shows the spread of dengue from urban to rural areas, emphasis on control of dengue in rural areas should also be laid down. All preventive and control measures should be started before the onset of dengue season, NCDC desert coolers should be used to prevent dengue.
Dengue/DHF/DSS/NVBDCP/Aedes aegypti/Aedes albopictus/Suspected case/Confirmed case
