Dengue Diagnosis: Understanding Bottlenecks & Potential Strategies

Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral disease caused by four antigenically distinct serotypes of the dengue virus (DENV-1 to DENV-4), transmitted by Aedes species mosquitoes. Although dengue infection commonly presents as a self-limiting febrile illness, it can progress to severe disease manifestations, including dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) and dengue shock syndrome (DSS), both of which are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Early diagnosis and timely notification are essential particularly in atypical presentations and cases requiring differential diagnosis. As a result, dengue remains a major public health concern across tropical and subtropical regions worldwide.

The initial diagnosis of dengue is largely based on clinical evaluation and a high index of suspicion is essential for guiding appropriate confirmatory testing. Laboratory investigations play a critical role in disease surveillance and outbreak monitoring but should always be interpreted in conjunction with demographic, clinical, and epidemiological information. 

Timely collection, detection and characterization of appropriate clinical samples are crucial for monitoring disease transmission, identifying circulating serotypes and supporting public health interventions. Recognizing the limitations of current diagnostic approaches and exploring strategies to address these challenges can significantly enhance surveillance and disease control efforts.