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00000000Patients were classified as DF and DHF according to the WHO criteria(6,7). DHF severity was also classified according to the WHO criteria. Patients with bacterial or other definite infections other than dengue were excluded from the study. Patients with self-limited febrile illness without definite sources of infection were classified as other febrile illness (OFI).

00000000definite infections other than dengue were excluded from the study. Patients with self-limited febrile illness without definite sources of infection were classified as other febrille illness (OFI).

00000000 Comparisons between the clinical and simple laboratory indicators for the two groups of patients, DHF/DF and OFI, were done. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of each indicator(s) for the diagnosis of dengue infection were calculated using serological and/or virological tests as the standard diagnosis of dengue infections(5).

Results
Patients' profile

00000000 There were 649 patients who were eligible for this study. Among the 318 dengue patients, 176 were of DF and 142 of DHF (42 DHF grade I, 78 DHF grade II, and 22 DHF grade III). There were 331 patients in the OFI group. The male/female ratios for dengue and OFI patients were 1 : 1.12 and 1 : 1.45, respectively. The mean ages for DF, DHF grade I, DHF grade II, DHF grade III and OFI patients were 8.01 (+ 2.93), 8.25 (+ 3.58), 8.9 (+ 2.86), 7.48 (+ 2.4) and 6.59 (+ 3.15) years, respectively.

Serology

00000000 A total of 313 patients (98.43%) were confirmed serologically: 21.09% were primary while 78.91% were secondary dengue infections. Primary and secondary dengue infections were found in 30.64% and 69.36% of DF patients while 9.29% and 90.71% of the primary and secondary dengue infections were found in DHE patients (Table 1).