A spectrum of viral diseases in Odisha state, eastern India: An evidence-based analysis from 2010-2017

Introduction: Emerging and re-emerging viral diseases are a major threat to public health. Odisha, being one of the coastal states in the country, reports many viral illnesses due to its typical geographical location. This study focuses on the prevalence of different viral diseases in the state of Odisha, India, from 2010-2017. Material and Methods: A total of 43,397 patients with clinical suspicion of viral diseases were screened for different viral etiologies during 2010-2017. The laboratory diagnosis was conducted by serology (ELISA) and RT-PCR for 24 different viruses, i.e., dengue, chikungunya, Japanese encephalitis, hepatitis A virus, hepatitis E virus, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, rotavirus, herpes simplex virus-1 and herpes simplex virus-2, Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus, and respiratory viruses. Patients were enrolled from sporadic hospital admissions and outbreaks under different categories as per clinical diagnoses like fever with rash, diarrhoea, encephalitis, jaundice, respiratory illness, and fever of unknown etiology. Results: The majority of patients belonged to exanthematous group, i.e., fever with rash (32.24%). The number of males was more in all categories except fever with rash, where females (53.34%) were more. Children