Etioepidemiological and Laboratory Profile of Tropical Fever in Patients Presenting With Acute Febrile Illness in Wardha District in Central India: An Observational Study

TL;DR

This study analyzed tropical fever cases in Central India to identify the main causes and outcomes of acute febrile illness.

Contribution

The study provides a detailed etioepidemiological and laboratory profile of tropical fevers in a specific Indian region.

Findings

Dengue was the most common cause of acute febrile illness, followed by malaria, scrub typhus, and leptospirosis.

Dengue patients frequently developed complications like hepatitis, while malaria patients often presented with shock.

The study found a significant mortality rate among patients with acute febrile illness, with dengue and malaria being the leading causes of death.

Abstract

Introduction

This study examined acute febrile illness (AFI) patients for several epidemiological and etiological factors. Acute febrile fever can result from various illnesses, including dengue, malaria, leptospirosis, and scrub typhus. The ranges of clinical outcomes of these cases were investigated as well.

Methods

This retrospective observational study was conducted from January 2023 to January 2024 for one year in the Medicine Department of Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Acharya Vinoba Bhave Rural Hospital, Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education & Research (Deemed to be University), a tertiary care teaching medical college in Wardha District of Maharashtra in Central India. Six hundred patients with acute febrile illness who tested positive for leptospirosis, dengue, scrub typhus, and malaria were included in the study. A pre-made proforma was used to record the data.

Results

Out of 600 patients, 150 (25%) were dengue, malaria (62 (10.3%)), scrub typhus (45 (7.5%)) cases, and leptospirosis (41 (6.8%)) cases. In 150 cases of dengue, 63 (42%) had hepatitis as a complication at the time of presentation. Twenty-seven (43.55%) had presented with shock in 62 patients of malaria, 13 (31.71%) had acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and pneumonia in 41 cases of leptospira, and 13 (28.8%) had hepatitis in 45 cases of scrub typhus patients. Among 38 deaths, three (2%) died due to dengue, two (3.23%) due to malaria, one (2.44%) due to leptospirosis, one (2.44%) due to scrub typhus, and 31 (10.36%) due to acute febrile illness.

Conclusion

Dengue, malaria, scrub typhus, and leptospirosis were the four primary illnesses that led to AFI in hospitalized patients, with dengue being the most prevalent. Using a mix of clinical, epidemiological, and laboratory information, a pertinent action plan should be created to treat and prevent such fevers in any hospital setting.

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