Point of Care Significance 6/10

Dengue Point-of-Care Diagnostics: Progress Toward Multiplexed Rapid Testing

This review summarises progress in developing point-of-care tests for dengue, covering antigen detection, antibody-based assays, and emerging molecular platforms. A key public health need is a multiplexing assay that can differentiate dengue from Zika and other febrile illnesses with overlapping presentations. Despite numerous platform developments, independent validation and real-world implementation of dengue POCTs remain very limited, particularly in endemic regions with constrained laboratory infrastructure.

The original study

Progress and Challenges towards Point-of-Care Diagnostic Development for Dengue.

Authors
Pang J, Chia PY, Lye DC, Leo YS
Journal
Journal of clinical microbiology
Type
Journal Article, Review, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
PMID
28904181
Read the original study →

Original abstract

Dengue detection strategies involve viral RNA, antigen, and/or antibody detection. Each strategy has its advantages and disadvantages. Optimal, user-friendly, rapid diagnostic tests based on immunochromatographic assays are pragmatic point-of-care tests (POCTs) in regions where dengue is endemic where there are limited laboratory capabilities and optimal storage conditions. Increasingly, there is a greater public health significance for a multiplexing assay that differentiates dengue from Zika or pathogens with similar clinical presentations. Although there have been many assay/platform developments toward POCTs, independent validation and implementation remain very limited. This review highlights the current key progress and challenges toward the development of a dengue POCT.