CHIKUNGUNYA AND DENGUE CO-INFECTION IN INDIA: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS

Dengue and chikungunya co-infections are increasing in India due to their shared vector Aedes mosquito. The overlap of clinical symptoms often results in cases of chikungunya going undiagnosed in regions where dengue is endemic. This study offers an extensive meta-analysis of the occurrence of chikungunya and chikungunya-dengue coinfection across seven different Indian states: Tamil Nadu, Odisha, New Delhi, Punjab, Telangana, Karnataka, and Gujarat. This analysis compiled data from 16 peer-reviewed articles and employed graphical, tabular, and chart-based techniques to represent the trends and prevalence rates. The findings indicated that New Delhi (~61.7%) had the highest chikungunya incidence rates, while Punjab (~32.4%) had recorded the highest chikungunyadengue co-infection rates in relation to the overall sample. These results emphasize notable geographical differences in infection patterns and point to potential hotspots that may need targeted public health measures. The study highlights the importance of future research to investigate the links between environmental factors and infection rates, which could aid in developing more effective strategies for preventing and controlling vector-borne diseases in India.