Every year dengue fever affects 40 million people worldwide, 20,000 of which are fatal. There is still a dearth of knowledge regarding the progression and prognostic factors of dengue fever. In closing this knowledge gap a collaborative research initiative has taken by the International Research Consortium on Dengue Risk Asses (IDAMS) formed by University of Heidelberg, Oxford University Clinical
Research Unit and Institute Pedro Kouri.
The objective of this study initiative taken by IDAMS is to analyse clinical and laboratory parameters which differentiate between dengue and non-dengue illness within the first 72 hours of fever that will predict probableevolution to a more severe disease course. This multi-country research is funded by European commission with an overall aim of developing a robust case definition for dengue and identifying virological and serological correlates of severe dengue in ten countries which includes Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia, El Salvador, Brazil etc. Bangladesh has joined this initiative with a unique collaboration of three organisations, BRAC Institute of Global Health (BIGH), International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research Bangladesh (icddr,b), and Shaheed Suhrawardy medical College Hospital.
In Bangladesh the clinical research project is led by Dr.Firoz Ahmed, Associate Scientist & Head of Molecular and Serodiagnostic Lab of icddr,b. BIGH is taking the lead for community mobilization, clinical data, sample collection for laboratory investigation which directed by Professor MalabikaSarker, Director Research, James P Grant School of Public Health. The first phase of the research started from August 2014 and data collection was started form 25th of August in Shaheed Suhrawardy medical College Hospital.