“What are the tests to confirm dengue?”
My 5 year old daughter has been suffering from cold, cough and fever. Her fever is not coming down inspite of the antibiotics. Should I get a test done for dengue? What are the tests recommended to rule out dengue?
5 Answers
The test is Dengue IgM/IgG serological test. Thank you.
Most febrile illnesses are usually followed by the Blood counts and the platelet counts are usually a good indicator for suspecting dengue. Specific diagnosis can done by testing for Dengue IgM antibodies in case of suspected Dengue infection on Clinical and lab findings.
Unless your daughter was in a country that dengue is fairly common, I don't believe this sort of testing is necessary. As far as the tests that confirm this disease, the answer would be best obtained from an infectious disease expert.
RB Thomas,MD
RB Thomas,MD
Your child should be seen by a pediatrician and/or infectious disease specialist before ordering tests.
Jeff Sims
Pathologist
The symptoms your daughter has could be caused by a bacteria or a virus. Most likely, it is a virus, and it is why she does not appear to be responding to antibiotics. The only reason to get a test for Dengue would be if you live in an area in which Dengue has occurred and your daughter had a mosquito bite. The most common test is a blood test that looks to see if your daughter has made antibodies against the virus. However, since there is no specific treatment for Dengue, other than supportive care, I'm not certain that getting the test will help. Most patients get better on their own in about a week. Very high fever (104F), bleeding, and severe pain occur in rare cases. These symptoms are serious and should be addressed right away, as they could be life threatening.
