Dengue Fever/Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever in Filipino Children: Clinical Experience During the 1983-1984 Epidemic

摘要

Although more than thirty years have lapsed since the first cases of dengue haemorrhagic fever, then known as Philippine haemorrhagic fever, were reported, studies on the various aspects of this disease were handicapped by the lack of valuable laboratory support. A collaborative study on dengue haemorrhagic fever in the Philippines was carried out in 1978 and 1979. The results, however, were not considered valid because the antibody responses were believed to be inaccurate. This study was conducted during the 1983-1984 epidemic of dengue fever/dengue haemorrhagic fever in the Philippines to find out if the clinical presentation of these infections has changed and to correlate the syndromes observed with the H1 antibody responses. A total of 377 Filipino children out of a total of 5,427 admissions from October 31, 1983 to March 31, 1984 were found to have dengue fever/dengue haemorrhagic fever. The present clinical presentation of these infections was basically similar to that in previous epidemics but hepatomegaly and pleural effusion were less frequent and cardiac involvement, more frequent. The discrepancies between the clinical syndromes and HI antibody responses were evident; thus, the values used for the interpretation of the antibody titers must be reassessed.