PREVALENCE OF MALARIA, ENTERIC FEVER, DENGUE AND RICKETTSIAL DISEASES IN FEVER CASES AT TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL

M.D. WADEKAR¹*, T.B. NAIK², A.K. UPADHYA³, N.B. SWAROOPA RANI^4
1Department of Microbiology, Subbaiah Institute of Medical Sciences, Shimoga, Karnataka, India
²Department of Microbiology, Subbaiah Institute of Medical Sciences, Shimoga, Karnataka, India
³Department of Microbiology, Subbaiah Institute of Medical Sciences, Shimoga, Karnataka, India
⁴Department of Microbiology, Subbaiah Institute of Medical Sciences, Shimoga, Karnataka, India
* Corresponding Author : drmdw20@gmail.com

Received : 23-12-2015     Accepted : 17-01-2016     Published : 28-01-2016
Volume : 8     Issue : 1       Pages : 720 - 722
Int J Microbiol Res 8.1 (2016):720-722

Keywords : Malaria, Enteric fever, Dengue, Rickettsial diseases, Serological tests, Peripheral smear
Academic Editor : Hylemariam Mihiretie, Hiba Siddig Ibrahim Mustafa, Alemayehu Reta
Conflict of Interest : None declared
Acknowledgements/Funding : None declared
Author Contribution : None declared

Aim: Malaria, Enteric fever, Dengue and Rickettsial diseases are major diseases, still prevalent in most of the countries including India. Number of studies on contribution of these diseases in an acute febrile illness is less in this region. Hence, study was conducted to know prevalence of these diseases in Shimoga, Karnataka, India. Methodology: Data was collected from Microbiology Laboratory registers retrospectively for one year from October 2014 to September 2015. Samples from patients of all age group and from both Out Patient Department (OPD) and In Patient Department (IPD) who presented with fever, and were clinically suspected to have dengue, malaria, enteric fever or rickettsial diseases were included in this study. Other febrile patients were excluded. Serological tests for dengue, typhoid and rickettsial diseases was performed by following the manufacturer’s instructions and for malaria, examination of thick and thin peripheral blood smear was done. Analysis was done using MS Excel 2010. Results: Among 554 febrile patients, rickettsial diseases was detected in 140(25.3%), enteric fever in 84(15.1%), dengue in 18(3.3%) and malaria in 06(1%) cases. Mixed infection was noted in 18(3.2%). Conclusion: Prevalence of rickettsial diseases 140(25.3%) is significantly high, especially in children’s followed by enteric fever 84(15.1%). Simple serological tests and peripheral blood smear for malaria are useful in diagnosis of fever cases.