Diagnosis of Dengue NS 1 Antigen with a Finger Prick – Evaluation of New Rapid Diagnostic Test

Introduction: Dengue is one of the most common mosquito borne viral disease of humans and a major contributor to the health burden in the world.There are many reasons why early diagnosis of dengue is important. Hence there is need for Rapid Diagnostic Tests(RDTs) for early diagnosis of Dengue, that yields results within minutes and that can be performed in health centers with little infrastructure or trained personnel, preferably without electricity.

Aims: To identify differences in sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratios between the diagnostic assays. To determine the positive and negative predictive value of the Rapid NS1-FP(Finger Prick) test and To correlate platelet counts with expression of NS 1 antigen.

Study Design: Prospective case control study.

Place and Duration of Study: Blood samples were collected from 200 patients clinically suspected of dengue during JUNE – 2017 to AUGUST – 2017 form PADMASHREE DIAGNOSTIC CENTER, BANGALORE.

Methodology: Dengue suspects were evaluated according to WHO criteria for probable dengue infection. Blood samples were collected from 200 patients clinically suspected of dengue were tested for NS 1 antigen using Serum card method and Finger prick method and results were compared with ELISA method ,later the qualitative results of NS 1 antigen were correlated with platelet counts.

Results: Total number of male cases were 113 (56.5%) and female cases were 87 (43.5%). The Sensitivity and specificity rates were on par with serum card method. The performance characteristics of Whole blood finger prick method was as follows.1.Sensivity – 90.9% 2.Specificity – 100%

Conclusion: Further studies are required to assess the potential impact of implementing early laboratory diagnosis of Dengue in terms of prognosis and cost effectiveness.