Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Jul 16, 2025 9 hours, 5 minutes ago
Medical News: Elderly Patients Face Unusual and Dangerous Dengue Outcomes in 2023
A recent clinical investigation from India has uncovered a troubling shift in how dengue fever presents and progresses in older adults—especially in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Medical experts from the Institute of Medical Sciences at Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi observed a significant number of geriatric inpatients affected by severe and unusual forms of dengue during the last dengue season of 2023.
Rising Dengue Severity in Older Adults After COVID-19 in India
This
Medical News report is based on a detailed case series involving 24 older patients diagnosed with dengue between August and December 2023. All patients were treated at the Department of Geriatric Medicine at the Banaras Hindu University hospital, and the study provides an early warning signal for doctors and families caring for older individuals in dengue-endemic regions.
Common Symptoms but Uncommon Complications
While most patients had classic signs of dengue such as fever, the study revealed a high rate of more alarming symptoms and complications. About 41.7% of patients reported extreme weakness, 37.5% suffered vomiting, and nearly one-third experienced breathing difficulties. Notably, 20.8% had altered mental states, indicating possible brain involvement—much higher than previously reported in older dengue patients.
One of the standout findings was the high number of severe dengue cases. Two-thirds of the patients developed a dangerous form of the disease marked by complications like acute kidney injury, altered sensorium, hepatitis, and low blood sodium levels. Laboratory tests showed that 45.8% had a dangerously low platelet count, and nearly 60% were diagnosed with hyponatremia.
Could COVID Be Making Dengue Worse in the Elderly?
The researchers are now exploring the potential role that previous COVID-19 infections or vaccinations might play in altering the course of dengue infections. Although this small study could not establish a statistically significant connection between COVID-19 exposure and dengue severity, it did find that unvaccinated individuals and those with chronic illnesses like diabetes or kidney disease tended to suffer worse outcomes.
Scientific literature cited in the report suggests that antibodies created in response to SARS-CoV-2—the virus behind COVID-19—may interact with dengue virus proteins, possibly affecting disease progression. However, more extensive research is needed to understand this interaction.
A Call for Larger Studies and Early Detection
This case series is one of the first to document how dengue behaves in older adults during the post-COVID period in India. It highlights the importance of recognizing early warning signs in older individuals and calls for expanded national and international surveillance. The researchers recommend including tests for antibodies against both SARS-CoV-2 and dengue viruses to better understand h
ow prior COVID-19 infections might be influencing dengue severity.
The results serve as a wake-up call for healthcare providers and caregivers: older adults are not just at risk of dengue, but increasingly at risk of its most severe forms. Immediate recognition and hospital-based management are crucial to improving outcomes and saving lives.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed journal: IDCases
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214250925001799
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Read Also:
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/scientists-from-india-discover-that-dengue-is-causing-sar-cov-2-strains-to-mutate-faster-in-certain-geolocations
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/individuals-previously-exposed-to-covid-19-with-sars-cov-2-igg-antibodies-will-develop-severe-dengue-when-infected
https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/dengue-news
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