Online ISSN: 2515-8260

Comparative Analysis of Ns1 Antigen and IGM Antibody by ELISA of Clinically Suspected Dengue Fever Cases in a Tertiary Care Centre

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T. Mounica1 , D. Lavanya2 , N. Padma Priya3

Abstract

Background: Dengue virus is the most common Arbovirus in India. It is transmitted by female mosquito -Aedes aegypti. It is a major public health problem world-wide, especially in tropical and sub-tropical areas. Approximately 100-400 million dengue cases occur every year according to World Health Organization (WHO). Hence early diagnosis of dengue is essential to prevent complications and mortality. Material and Methods: A total of 94 cases with clinically suspicious of dengue fever were included. Blood samples from the OP/IP patients with <9 days fever were collected under aseptic conditions. Serum was separated by centrifugation and subjected to detection of dengue NS1 antigen and IgM antibodies by ELISA. Results: Out of 94 samples, 23 were positive for dengue infection. Out of 23, NS1 antigen was present in 7(30.4%) samples, IgM antibody was present in 4 (17.4%) samples, and both NS1 & IgM antibody were present in 12 (52.2%) samples. The sensitivity and specificity of NS1 antigen - 87.5%&82.5%, for IgM - 80%&79.7%, for NS1 antigen + IgM antibody - 92.3% and 87.6% respectively. Conclusion: NS1 ELISA test method is an effective method for early detection of dengue fever. Early detection will help in treatment at appropriate time to prevent complications. However, the combination of NS1 Ag test and IgM Ab test by ELISA detected high sensitivity and specificity which provides strong evidence for detection of clinically suspected dengue infection.

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