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VOLUME 26 , ISSUE 1 ( January-June, 2024 ) > List of Articles

SPECIAL ARTICLE

Arboviral Diagnostics in India: A Multicentric Survey

Jeslin Sara John, Rajendra Surpam, Susheela Kundoly Velayudhan, Hemachandra Champa, Madiha Abdul Majeed Abdul Nazer, Sushitha Thindiparambath Surendran, M G Mithu, Archana Sasimohan, Anandhi Lakshmanan, Sura Anjanappa Lakshminarayana, A Tejashree, H Sahira, Abdul Qader Jalily, M V Poornima, N Saritha, Beena J Philomina, Sudhindra Karanam Subramanyam, A Sumanta, M Ardra, Gaurav Goel, Vinitha Mary Joy, Renu Mathew, Ramvihar Sathyajith, S Kavya, Molly Johny, Sadhana Chate, A Dhanalaxmi, Ranganathan Natarajan Iyer, S Nivedhana, R Sathyajith

Keywords : Arboviral diagnostics, Chikungunya, Dengue, Japanese encephalitis virus, Polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Survey

Citation Information : John JS, Surpam R, Velayudhan SK, Champa H, Nazer MA, Surendran ST, Mithu MG, Sasimohan A, Lakshmanan A, Lakshminarayana SA, Tejashree A, Sahira H, Jalily AQ, Poornima MV, Saritha N, Philomina BJ, Subramanyam SK, Sumanta A, Ardra M, Goel G, Joy VM, Mathew R, Sathyajith R, Kavya S, Johny M, Chate S, Dhanalaxmi A, Iyer RN, Nivedhana S, Sathyajith R. Arboviral Diagnostics in India: A Multicentric Survey. 2024; 26 (1):29-34.

DOI: 10.5005/jacm-11020-0006

License: CC BY-NC 4.0

Published Online: 26-07-2024

Copyright Statement:  Copyright © 2024; The Author(s).


Abstract

Background: Arboviruses are arthropod-borne viruses transmitted during the blood meal of the arthropod. These arboviruses are considered to be emerging and reemerging infections. Aims and objectives: This survey is being conducted to determine the testing capacity of various hospitals and laboratories for arboviral infections, their testing methods, and positivity rate. Materials and methods: This questionnaire-based study was conducted after obtaining ethical clearance. The questionnaire was circulated via email, WhatsApp, or other electronic modes to clinical microbiologists in India. Data were collected on testing for dengue, chikungunya, Japanese encephalitis (JE), Kyasanur forest disease (KFD), Zika, and West Nile virus from June 2022 to May 2023 (1 year). The collected data were tabulated and analyzed using frequency and percentages. Results: A total of 39 testing facilities responded to the questionnaire. Among these facilities, 20 (51.28%) were from Kerala, and 26 (66.6%) were teaching hospitals, of which 15 (38.46%) were private. Two (5.1%) were stand-alone private laboratories. Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs), immunoglobulin M (IgM) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for ribonucleic acid (RNA) detection were the common tests performed. A total of 1,07,535 samples were tested for the six major arboviral infections, with dengue accounting for 93.59% of the tests conducted. All these diseases are reportable under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP). Facility for viral culture and isolation, considered the gold standard for diagnosing viral diseases, was not available at any of the centers. Conclusion: This survey is the first of its kind to examine arboviral disease testing capacity across 39 diagnostic facilities in India. Dengue diagnosis was the most common among the arboviral diseases tested. However, paradoxically, tests for potentially fatal viral infections, like Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), and IgM ELISA for KFD, are only available at referral centers. This study highlights the need for improved capacity building for arboviral disease detection across the country. Early diagnosis is crucial for controlling the spread of these viruses in communities.


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