Clinical and epidemiological profile of chikungunya infection in hospital patients in 2015 in Mérida, Mexico

Abstract

Objectives. Describe the epidemiological profile and analyze clinical manifestations by age group in chikungunya patients treated in 2015 in a Mérida, Mexico general hospital. Methods. An observational study describing chikungunya cases recorded by the Department of Epidemiological Surveillance from July to December 2015 and analyzing clinical manifestations by age group. A logistic regression model was used to analyze the association between signs and symptoms and hospital admission. Results. A total of 830 diagnosed chikungunya cases were treated. Average age was 27.4 ± 17.05 years and the male-to-female ratio was 1:1.4. Most patients came from urban areas (n = 592, 87%) and, in particular, the capital city. Contact with the arthropod vector in the peridomiciliary area was reported in 723 (90%) cases. Muscular and joint impairments were more frequent in the older groups, while rash was more frequent in younger groups. Neurological and non-neurological manifestations of severity did not show greater prevalence in any one age group. Conclusions. Chikungunya patients had primarily self-limited benign cases, while neurological manifestations such as lethargy, persistent vomiting, hemorrhage, photo-phobia, and intense headache were predictive of severity and their timely identification in children under 1 year of age was possible through close monitoring.