Comparison of rapid immuno- chromatographic card test with elisa in diagnosis of dengue fever at tertiary care centre

Abstract

Introduction: Dengue viruses are Arboviruses capable of infecting humans, and causing diseases1.Dengue virus belongs to the family Flaviviridae, genus Flavivirus. The Aedes aegypti mosquito is the principal vector that transmits the viruses that cause dengue.The viruses are passed on to humans through the bites of an infective female Aedes mosquito, which acquires the virus while feeding on the blood of an infected individual. Commercially available rapid kits, detecting the presence of NS1 antigen and anti-dengue antibodies have been developed for the rapid detection of dengue.Diagnosis of dengue at an early stage is the only effective way to control disease progression. Objective: To compare rapid immunochromatographic test with ELISA for detection of NS1antigen and IgM in suspected dengue patients. Materials and Methods: A Cross-Sectional study was carried out in the Department of Microbiology, Era’s Lucknow Medical College and Hospital from the month of July 2016 to September 2016.Serum samples of 225 suspected dengue patients were collected, having fever for 5 days or less. All samples were analyzed by Dengue Day 1 Test which detects NS1 antigen, IgM and IgG antibodies; by Panbio Dengue Early ELISA for detecting NS1 antigens and by Panbio Dengue IgM Capture ELISA for IgM antibodies. Results:The Rapid Dengue Day 1 card Test showed a sensitivity and specificity of 92% and 98% for NS1 antigen detection and 90% and 100% for IgM Antibody detection. Conclusion: High sensitivity and specificity of rapid diagnostic tests for early detection of dengue was observed. These kits are highly suitable for early detection of positive cases, as with high sensitivity and specificity it can help in early screening of patients and can further limit the spread of disease. Keywords: Dengue fever, NS1 antigen, IgM antibodies, ELISA