SEROPREVALENCE OF DENGUE VIRUS INFECTION AMONG FEBRILE PATIENTS ATTENDING SOME HOSPITALS WITHIN ADAMAWA STATE IN NORTH-EASTERN NIGERIA

Abstract

Dengue is a major public health concern throughout tropical and sub-tropical regions of the planet. The actual numb of dengue cases is underreported and many are wrongly classified. The study therefore aimed at establishing the seroprevalence of Dengue virus (DENV) infection in Adamawa state. The study was a cross-sectional study where sociodemographic data and blood samples were collected from three selected government public health facilities. The blood samples were allowed to clot, the sera were separated and screened for dengue virus using ELISA. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20 (SPSS 20). Of the 600 participants, 65% (390/600) had IgM to dengue virus indicating infection with Dengue virus. The IgM was detected with the highest prevalence in Mubi (81.5%: 163/200) while Numan (52%: 104/200) had the lowest. The distribution of DENV infection according to gender shows more exposure in males (66.79%: 181/271) than females (63.61%: 201/316) though the difference was not significant (P<0.05). Individuals between the age group 11-20 years had the highest prevalence (67.39%: 62/92) of DENV infection while the lowest was recorded among those who were aged 51 and above (59.34%: 54/91). The high seroprevalence of IgM to Dengue virus found among febrile patients attending public health facilities in Adamawa state indicates the circulation of the virus in the state and its potential endemicity in this North-eastern state of Nigeria.