Dengue Positivity rate among children visiting a tertiary care hospital of Rawalpindi

Objective: This study aimed to determine gender-wise variation in dengue positivity rate and predilection of children towards ‎dengue severity. ‎ Study Design: A Analytical cross-sectional study was conducted. Place and duration of study: A cross-sectional analytical study was done among 847 children who came to dengue OPD of Holy ‎Family Hospital Rawalpindi during October-November 2024‎. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was done among 847 children who came to dengue OPD of Holy ‎Family Hospital Rawalpindi during October-November 2024. Pediatric cases tested positive on NS1 and ‎IgM testig were included in the study through consecutive non-probability sampling. Data was ‎analyzed by means of SPSS version 27.0. Descriptive statistics were applied. Cases were segregated ‎with respect to different dengue clinical syndromes. Gender-wise difference in dengue positivity rate ‎was determined by applying chi-square test and calculating Odd’s ratio along with 95% Confidence ‎Interval (CI). P < 0.05 was taken as significant‎. Results: Out of 847 children examined and investigated in dengue OPD, 124 were dengue positive. There were ‎‎69.3% were males 30.7% were females among dengue positive children. 71% of them had Dengue ‎Fever (DF) while 25% and 4% were diagnosed with Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF) and Dengue ‎Shock Syndrome (DSS) respectively. Overall dengue positivity rate was 14.6% while rate among males ‎and females was 17.1% and 11% respectively. Gender-stratified dengue positivity results revealed ‎statistically significant difference (P = 0.013) with Odd’s ratio of 1.67 (95% CI= 1.11 – 2.51)‎ Conclusion: ‎ Male children exhibited significantly higher dengue positivity rate than female children of Rawalpindi. ‎ Keywords: dengue positivity rate, tertiary care hospital, dengue fever, dengue hemorrhagic