Prevalence of dengue infection in Delta State, Nigeria

Dengue fever, a mosquito-borne viral infection caused by the dengue virus, remains an emerging public health concern in many parts of Nigeria where it is often underdiagnosed and underreported. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of dengue virus among febrile patients attending hospitals at Delta State. A total of 400 blood samples were collected from the volunteered participants, fifty (50) samples from each of the eight hospitals selected for the study. Statistical analysis included ANOVA, t-tests and pearsons correlation to assess species association and seasonal trends. Out of 243 individuals examined, 18 (7.4%) tested positive for dengue, while 225 (92.6%) were not infected. Females recorded a higher prevalence of 9.3% compared to 5.3% among males. The difference in infection rates between genders was statistically significant (p = 0.042). During the rainy season, 48 males and 67 females were examined, with 2 (4.2%) male and 7 (10.4%) females testing positive for dengue, while 46 (95.8%) males and 60 (89.6%) females tested negative. In the dry season, 66 males and 62 females were examined, with 4 (6.1%) males and 5 (8.1%) females testing positive, while 62 (93.9%) males and 57 (91.9%) females tested negative. Ute-Okpu recorded the highest infection rate of 16.1%, followed by Agbor (12.9%) and Ughelli (9.7%), while no dengue infection was detected in Abraka. The study revealed generally poor awareness, as only 27.6% were aware of dengue fever, while most (72.4%) lacked knowledge of the disease. Molecular analyses revealed that out of the total sample size 18 (7.4%) were seropositive to dengue immunoglobulins. The four serotypes of dengue D1 – D4 were all detected both during the rainy and dry season. Overall, the results underscore a pressing need for strengthened public health interventions, improved sanitation, sustained vector control measures, and routine arboviral surveillance to reduce the burden of these infections.