Etiological spectrum of acute encephalitis syndrome in children in India: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Table 1 Characteristics of included studies in the meta-analysis

Ref.	State of study	Sample size (for pediatric age group)	Predominant pathogen	Serological methods used	Molecular methods used
Tsomu et al[3], 2026	Himachal Pradesh	69	Scrub typhus	Yes	No
Abdulkader et al[2], 2025	Multiple states of North and South India	34501	JE	Yes	No
Bhardwaj et al[11], 2025	Uttar Pradesh	557	Scrub typhus	Yes	Yes
Damodar et al[30], 2025	Karnataka	587	Scrub typhus	Yes	Yes
Sidharth et al[31], 2025	Kerala	48	HHV-6, Adenovirus	Yes	Yes
Thomas et al[8], 2025	Kerala	204	HHV-6	No	Yes
Mishra et al[32], 2025	Uttar Pradesh	264	Scrub typhus	Yes	Yes
Verma et al[5], 2025	Uttar Pradesh	4116	JE	Yes	No
Kumar et al[33], 2025	Bihar	2195	JE	Yes	No
Dwibedi et al[4], 2024	Odisha and Uttar Pradesh	867	HSV	Yes	Yes
Alam et al[34], 2024	Uttar Pradesh	204	Dengue	Yes	No
Sharawat et al[35], 2024	Uttarakhand	100	Dengue	Yes	Yes
Bhardwaj et al[36], 2024	Uttar Pradesh	100	Scrub typhus	Yes	Yes
Tripathy et al[37], 2019	Odisha	834	HSV	Yes	Yes
Kakoti et al[9], 2020	Assam	140	JE	Yes	No
Gupta et al[38], 2018	Gujarat	90	HSV	Yes	Yes
Ravi et al[39], 2022	Multi-centric	11295	Scrub typhus	Yes	Yes
Tiwari et al[40], 2017	Rajasthan	283	HSV	Yes	Yes
Arankalle et al[41], 2019	Uttar Pradesh	78	Scrub typhus	Yes	Yes
Damodar et al[42], 2023	Karnataka	376	Scrub typhus	Yes	Yes
Saxena et al[43], 2009	Uttar Pradesh	36	JE	Yes	Yes
Medhi et al[44], 2017	Assam	500	JE	Yes	No
Jana et al[13], 2024	West Bengal	75	Scrub typhus	Yes	No
Baidya et al[45], 2022	Pondicherry	127	Scrub typhus	Yes	Yes
Tandel et al[46], 2019	Madhya Pradesh	75	Only reported incidence of West Nile virus infection, not the predominant pathogen	No	Yes
Swami et al[47], 2008	Chandigarh	27	JE	Yes	Yes
Singh et al[48], 2014	Uttar Pradesh	1264	Dengue	Yes	Yes
Singh et al[49], 2019	Manipur	526	JE	Yes	No
Mishra et al[22], 2024	Uttar Pradesh	130	JE	Yes	Yes
Kumar et al[50], 2008	Uttar Pradesh	265	JE	Yes	Yes
Gurav et al[51], 2010	Maharashtra	78	Chandipura virus (outbreak)	Yes	Yes
Singh et al[52], 2015	Uttar Pradesh	114	JE	Yes	Yes
Kakoti et al[21], 2013	Assam	223	JE	Yes	No
Karmarkar et al[14], 2008	Delhi	151	Enterovirus	Yes	No
Bhardwaj et al[53], 2024	Uttar Pradesh	238	Scrub typhus, Chikungunya	Yes	Yes
Rebecca et al[54], 2024	Tamil Nadu	250	Scrub typhus	Yes	Yes
Mittal et al[24], 2017	Uttar Pradesh	46	Scrub typhus	Yes	No
Tandale et al[15], 2022	Maharashtra & Telangana	198	JE	Yes	Yes
Kumar et al[55], 2023	Madhya Pradesh	110	JE	Yes	No
Tandale et al[17], 2021	Maharashtra & Telangana	140	JE	Yes	Yes
Anukumar et al[56], 2014	Kerala	69	West Nile virus (outbreak)	Yes	Yes
Sonowal et al[23], 2024	Assam	1389	JE	Yes	Yes
Adarsha et al[57], 2023	Chandigarh	31	Scrub typhus, HSV	Yes	Yes
Kabilan et al[58], 2000	Tamil Nadu	37	JE	Yes	No
Jain et al[25], 2014	Uttar Pradesh	1045	JE	Yes	No
Lewthwaite et al[59], 2010	Karnataka	232	JE	Yes	Yes
Kumar et al[60], 2011	Uttar Pradesh	90	Enterovirus (outbreak)	No	Yes
Kumar et al[61], 2018	Uttar Pradesh	100	HSV	Yes	Yes
Saxena et al[62], 2009	Uttar Pradesh	38	JE	Yes	Yes
Ranjan et al[63], 2014	Uttar Pradesh	8453	JE	Yes	Yes
Singh et al[64], 2016	Uttar Pradesh	128	Enterovirus	Yes	Yes
Bhatt et al[65], 2012	Uttar Pradesh	100	JE	Yes	No
Kumar et al[66], 2006	Uttar Pradesh	223	JE	Yes	No
Aggarwal[67], 2022	Delhi	100	JE	Yes	Yes
Kabilan et al[68], 2004	Tamil Nadu	58	JE	Yes	Yes
Balachandran et al[20], 2025	Gujarat	81	Chandipura virus (outbreak)	Yes	Yes
Kumar et al[69], 2012	Uttar Pradesh	204	Enterovirus	Yes	Yes
Beig et al[27], 2010	Uttar Pradesh	87	Enterovirus	Yes	No
Chakraborty et al[70], 2021	Assam	1185	JE	Yes	No
Thomas et al[18], 2024	Kerala	157	Enterovirus	Yes	Yes
Rathore et al[71], 2019	Odisha	820	HSV	Yes	Yes
Tandale et al[72], 2008	Andhra Pradesh (Telangana now)	52	Chandipura virus	Yes	Yes
Patgiri et al[73], 2014	Assam	144	JE	Yes	No
Kumar et al[74], 2009	Uttar Pradesh	577	JE	Yes	No
Itihas et al[75], 2023	Maharashtra	56	JE	Yes	No
Mittal et al[76], 2018	Uttar Pradesh	407	Scrub typhus	Yes	Yes
Tarai et al[77], 2019	New Delhi	157	Enterovirus	No	Yes
Narasimha Rao et al[78], 2008	Andhra Pradesh	104	Chandipura (outbreak)	Yes	Yes
Alam et al[26], 2020	Uttar Pradesh	352	Scrub typhus	No	Yes

JE: Japanese encephalitis; HSV: Herpes simplex virus; HHV-6: Human herpesvirus 6.