Acute encephalitis syndrome in denue

Abstract

Background: Encephalitis and encephalopathy both has been incriminated as cause of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) in Dengue. But incriminating either has never been easy. Objective: To observe the incidence, cause and outcome of AES in Dengue patients. Methods: Laboratory proved Dengue patients admitted to a Tertiary care hospital were observed for development and consequences of AES. Results: Out of 2660 admitted Dengue cases 32 developed AES. All had warning signs and comorbid conditions. IgM antibody for Dengue was detected in 2 samples of CSF. Four patients expired and 2 had cognitive impairment at the end of one month. Conclusion: Neurotropism of Dengue could be established in small proportion of cases.