Study to Identify Causes of Fever in Nepal and Improve Antibiotic Use in Hospitalized Patients

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are investigating the causes of febrile illnesses in Nepal, where many patients with fever lasting 3 to 21 days are diagnosed based on symptoms alone due to limited microbiological lab support. This study aims to identify infections using advanced microbiological methods, including culture and ELISA-based tests for seven pathogens not routinely tested in Nepal. By improving diagnosis, the study seeks to reduce unnecessary antibiotic use, which can lead to resistance and added costs, and to enhance patient outcomes while aiding public health efforts to control infectious diseases. The study involves two groups one receiving the standard care evaluation by their medical team, which includes clinical assessment, basic labs, radiology, routine serologies, and microbiological tests and another group that, if no clear diagnosis emerges, will undergo additional serological and microbiological testing for infections such as Murine typhus, Bartonellosis, Q fever, Chikungunya, Zika, Japanese B encephalitis, and West Nile virus. These additional tests are meant to better identify the cause of undifferentiated febrile illness. Participants admitted to the hospital with fever lasting 3 to 21 days will be closely monitored with clinical evaluations and laboratory testing over this period. Researchers will assess the causes of fever and the effectiveness of antimicrobial treatments used. They will compare clinical diagnoses with lab results and evaluate treatment outcomes. The study lasts for the duration of the fever episode, up to 21 days, aiming to improve diagnosis and treatment practices for febrile illnesses in Nepal.

Etiology of Febrile Illness in Nepal (DEFINe Study)