The National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP), under the Department of Health & Family Welfare, Government of Nagaland, urged all private and public healthcare providers to adhere strictly to the issued notification regarding Dengue testing and reporting.
As clearly stated, a Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) positive result for Dengue is only indicative of a probable case. Therefore, all RDT-positive cases must be confirmed through ELISA testing at designated district hospitals in Dimapur, Mokokchung, Wokha, Kiphire, Mon, and NHAK.
In the interest of public health and to ensure early diagnosis, effective case management, and the reduction of Dengue transmission, the Government of Nagaland mandates that healthcare providers notify every Dengue case to the Chief Medical Officer of the district on a weekly basis, and daily during the transmission period.
Case Definition for Dengue
Probable DF/DHF:
A case consistent with Dengue Fever symptoms: an acute febrile illness of 2-7 days duration with two or more of the following manifestations: Headache, Retro-orbital pain, Myalgia, Arthralgia, Rash, Haemorrhagic manifestations.
A case with a Non-ELISA based NS1 antigen/IgM positive result from an RDT will be considered probable due to the poor sensitivity and specificity of currently available RDTs.
Confirmed Dengue Fever: A case consistent with the clinical description of Dengue Fever and confirmed by at least one of the following laboratory tests:
- Detection of Dengue virus antigen in serum via NS1 ELISA
- Demonstration of IgM antibody titre by ELISA in a single serum sample
- Detection of viral nucleic acid through polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
- Isolation of the Dengue virus from serum, plasma, or leucocytes
- IgG seroconversion in paired sera after two weeks with a fourfold increase in IgG titre
Mandatory Reporting by Healthcare Providers: For the purpose of this notification, healthcare providers include clinical establishments managed by the Government (including local authorities), private or NGO sectors, and individual practitioners registered under the Clinical Establishment (Registration & Regulation) Act, 2010.
Doctors in Government health institutions and registered private medical practitioners are required to immediately notify the District Health Authority of their respective districts if a suspected Dengue case is reported in their healthcare facility.
All blood samples of suspected Dengue cases must be sent to the Sentinel Surveillance Hospital (SSH) for ELISA-based testing. A patient can only be declared Dengue-positive based on ELISA results and not on RDT results. RDT-based testing (using NS1 or IgM) can only indicate a probable Dengue case, while IgG testing alone is not a valid indicator.
Healthcare providers must promptly report all confirmed Dengue cases to the office of the respective Chief Medical Officer immediately after diagnosis to facilitate proper epidemiological assessment and timely intervention.
(DIPR)