Dengue fever and chikungunya: prevalence, hematological parameters, and associated factors among febrile patients in eastern Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study

Dengue fever and chikungunya are emerging arboviral diseases and are becoming major public health threats in tropical and subtropical regions. However, the actual burden and contributing factors are not well studied in Ethiopia. Thus, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of dengue fever and chikungunya and assess the hematological parameters and associated factors among febrile patients in eastern Ethiopia. An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Dire Dawa city administration from October to December 2023. Sociodemographic and clinical information of patients were collected using a structured questionnaire and checklist. Hematological parameters were determined using the Mindray BC-3000 Plus automated hematology analyzer. The Kruskal–Wallis test, Spearman correlation test, and logistic regression were used during data analysis. A P -value of < .05 with a 95% confidence interval was considered statistically significant. A total of 576 febrile patients were investigated. The majority of the study participants, 312 (54.2%), were male, and 524 (91%) were rural residents. Nearly 327 (57%) cases were diagnosed with dengue fever, while 73 (13%) cases were for chikungunya. The type of visited healthcare institution (Sabian Comprehensive Hospital, AOR: 8.2 [95% CI: 4.02, 17.3] and Dilchora Referral Hospital, AOR: 2.3 [95% CI: 1.5, 3.7]), urban residence (AOR: 2.3, 95% CI: 1.37–7.7), government employment (AOR: 0.34 [0.12–0.99]), and patients’ previous history of a similar AFI (acute febrile illness) AOR: 3.2 (95% CI: 1.02, 10.3) were significantly associated with empiric arboviral diseases. White blood cell, red blood cell, and platelet counts were significantly decreased among patients with DENV infection compared to other febrile patients ( P  < .001). In addition, a statistically significant weak negative correlation was noted between the duration of fever and white blood cell count, red blood cell count, and platelet count among dengue patients. High rates of clinical dengue fever and chikungunya cases were observed. Some socio-demographic and institutional factors were more likely to be significantly associated with clinically diagnosed arboviral diseases. Furthermore, significant differences were observed in some hematological parameters between cases with dengue/chikungunya diseases and those without. The findings highlighted the need for early diagnosis and urgent action to downplay the undesirable outcomes of arboviral diseases.