Clinical, virological, and antibody profiles of overlapping dengue and chikungunya virus infections in children from southern Colombia.

BACKGROUND

Dengue and chikungunya are arboviral diseases with overlapping clinical characteristics. Dengue virus (DENV) is endemic in Colombia, and in 2014/2015, the chikungunya virus (CHIKV) caused an epidemic that resulted in over 350,000 cases. Since then, both viruses have been actively co-circulating. The early and accurate identification of pediatric infection caused by DENV or CHIKV is essential for proper medical management. Given that subsequent infections and co-infections with DENV and CHIKV have been reported, virological and immunological factors may influence their clinical outcomes. Here, we analyzed the viremia, antigenemia, and virus-specific antibody responses in hospitalized children suspected of having dengue during the peak of CHIKV infections in Colombia.

METHODS

Ninety-one children with a clinical diagnosis of dengue were included in the peak of the CHIKV epidemic (December 2014 to May 2015) at a reference healthcare center in Huila, south of Colombia. Multiplexed RT-qPCR for DENV, CHIKV, and ZIKV was performed, and DENV antigenemia was evaluated using an ELISA for the NS1 antigen. Commercial capture or in-house indirect NS1-based ELISAs were used to assess circulating DENV and CHIKV-IgM and IgG. Clinical and laboratory characteristics were analyzed during hospitalization, and convalescent follow-up was conducted for a fraction of children.

RESULTS

DENV and CHIKV monoinfections were confirmed in 54% and 12% of children, respectively, with the expected virus-specific seroconversion in recovery. Overlapping infections occurred in 22% of the children, while 12% showed no detectable DENV or CHIKV infections. Abdominal pain, vomiting, hepatomegaly, and thrombocytopenia were common findings associated with DENV, while arthralgia and rash characterized CHIKV monoinfections. One fatal secondary DENV-3 monoinfection was registered, and DENV infection dominated the symptoms of overlapping infections without producing different clinical outcomes compared to monoinfections. Thirty-eight percent of children were seropositive for CHIKV-IgG, indicating a significant burden of CHIKV infection in the pediatric population shortly after its introduction in Colombia. The previous virus-specific IgG serostatus did not impact the clinical outcome of the current heterotypic arboviral infection.

CONCLUSION

The pediatric population in southern Colombia was rapidly exposed to CHIKV infections during the first months following its arrival, with up to 12% of hospitalized children suspected of having dengue experiencing CHIKV monoinfection, supporting that complex and dynamic epidemiological patterns may lead to delayed or missed diagnoses. The overlapping infections of DENV and CHIKV were frequent and did not lead to worse clinical or fatal outcomes.