Surveillance of Infectious Agents in Acute Febrile Illnesses in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Northern India

Chetal, Priyanka Khanna; Gupta, Ashu; Sheemar, Sheevani; Taperyal, Tushar; Taak, Savi

doi:10.52547/iem.12.2.153

Surveillance of Infectious Agents in Acute Febrile Illnesses in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Northern India

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Priyanka Khanna Chetal ¹

Ashu Gupta ²

Sheevani Sheemar ²

Tushar Taperyal ²

Savi Taak ²

¹ Department of Microbiology, Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences, Jalandhar, Punjab, India

² Department of Microbiology Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences, Jalandhar, Punjab, India

10.52547/iem.12.2.153

Abstract

Background: Acute febrile illnesses (AFIs) are a major cause of morbidity in India, particularly during the monsoon season, posing significant diagnostic challenges due to overlapping clinical features. This study aimed to
investigate the main AFI causes in northern India.
Materials & Methods:This prospective observational study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in northern India from July 2023 to December 2024 to determine the aetiological spectrum of AFIs. A total of 8127 patients were evaluated using rapid diagnostic tests and standard microbiological methods for dengue, typhoid, hepatitis A and E, chikungunya, scrub typhus, and
malaria.
Findings: Dengue and typhoid were the most frequently identified AFI causes, followed by viral hepatitis and other vector-borne infections. Mixed infections were also observed, highlighting diagnostic complexity.
Conclusion: The findings emphasize the importance of laboratorysupported surveillance to enable early outbreak detection, improve case management, and guide public health interventions in endemic regions.

Keywords

Acute febrile illness

Dengue

Typhoid

Hepatitis A, Hepatitis E

Scrub typhus

Surveillance

Subjects