English

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Dengue is an acute viral infection with potential fatal complications. Rapid and easy diagnosis of dengue can help in patient triage and care- management. The detection of dengue virus NS1 antigen by rapid lateral flow tests offers a faster method to a presumptive diagnosis in the peripheral centers of developing countries like India where the laboratory has no great technological backup. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 351 sera from patients suspected of having dengue virus infection were tested for dengue NS1 antigen and dengue IgM and IgG antibodies by both ELISA and immunochromatographic test (ICT). RESULTS: From the 351 samples tested, 249 (70.94%) of the sera were found to be positive for DENV infection based on the IgM antibody or IgG antibody or NS1 antigen. Of the 249 samples 105 (42.16%) were positive for only IgM or only IgG or both antibodies by ELISA and 101 (40.56%) by ICT. Based on dengue NS1 antigen along with IgM and /or IgG tests, 144 (57.8%) were positive for dengue infections by ELISA and 139 (55.8%) by ICT. Among these 144 samples, only dengue NS1 antigen was detected in 67 (26.90%) by ELISA and 65 (26.10%) by ICT. CONCLUSIONS: Inclusion of NS1 in the diagnosis of dengue increases the detection rate significantly. The sensitivity of ICT for both antigen and antibody detection are almost equal to ELISA. Thus, the potential use of the NS1 antigen along with antibody tests