Clinical and socio-demographic characterization of patients diagnosed with dengue and chikungunya in Nariño, Colombia

Abstract

Introduction: More than 390 million dengue cases and 20 000 deaths due to this condition are reported worldwide every year. Chikungunya caused a large epidemic in the Americas with more than two and a half million cases until the year 2017.

Objective: Identify the clinical and socio-demographic characteristics of the dengue and chikungunya cases reported for the period 2014-2017 in Nariño, Colombia.

Methods: A cross-sectional observational descriptive study was conducted. A retrospective review was carried out of the databases at Nariño Departmental Health Institute and Nariño Departmental University Hospital.

Results: During the study period there were 2 514 hospital admissions with dengue and 460 with chikungunya. A total 22 severe dengue cases and one death were identified for the year 2017. Review of the medical records of 1 735 patients with complete information revealed that the most common clinical manifestations of dengue were fever (100%), headache (84.6%) and myalgia (83.7%), followed by arthralgia, rash and abdominal pain. A predominance was found of the male sex in dengue cases (56.8%) and of the female sex in chikungunya cases (52.0%). Both conditions were more frequent in the population aged over 40 years, with 24.5% and 27.2%, respectively.

Conclusions: The similar symptoms and the presence of complicated cases highlight the need for timely differential diagnosis and the training of the health personnel, with the support of government agencies. It is required to develop intervention programs aimed at working ages and regions with environmental conditions favorable for the spread of disease vectors.