Identification of Dengue Virus Serotypes in Febrile Patients Attending Specialist Hospital Gombe

Dengue fever is an arboviral illness transmitted primarily by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, and its true burden in Nigeria is likely underestimated due to limited diagnostic capacity and clinical overlap with other febrile illnesses. This study identified dengue virus serotypes in febrile patients attending Specialist Hospital Gombe, Gombe State, Northeast Nigeria. Serum samples were collected from 130 patients presenting with acute undifferentiated fever between April and October 2024. Dengue NS1 antigen ELISA was used for rapid screening, and serotype-specific reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) was employed on RNA extracted from seropositive specimens. Twenty-two patients (16.9%) tested positive by ELISA, of whom 19 yielded PCR-confirmed serotypes. Dengue virus serotype 1 (DENV-1) was most prevalent (52.6%), followed by DENV-2 (31.6%) and co-detection of DENV-1 and DENV-2 in two patients. The relatively high seropositivity rate in Gombe State suggests endemic dengue transmission in the Northeast region, an area with limited prior molecular surveillance. These findings urge the integration of dengue diagnostics in febrile illness management algorithms in public health facilities across the region. Keywords: dengue virus, serotype, RT-PCR, febrile illness, Gombe State.