Dengue infection detection from first fever day
It’s travel time, bringing all the possibilities of fun – as well as disease risk. The dengue virus, eg, is endemic in 124 countries. It is carried and transmitted by mosquitoes. Typically, what follows is a non-fatal febrile illness characterised by fever, muscle pain, headache, and nausea and vomiting lasting 5-7 days.
However, the more severe manifestations of the disease -- dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) and dengue shock syndrome (DSS) -- can be fatal if not identified and treated in the early stages. The new Panbio Dengue Early Rapid immunochromatographic test launched by Alere International* and designed for use with other dengue serology tests, is reported to help diagnose active dengue infection from the very first day fever appears. Such early diagnosis means therapy and monitoring can begin far sooner, reducing the risk of severe complications such as DHF and DSS.
The manufacturer reports that, in detecting dengue NS1 antigen in serum, the new test can provide a specific diagnosis of dengue infection in 15 minutes following an easy three step procedure. ‘This is especially valuable in areas where diagnosis could be confounded by serological cross reactivity. There are four distinct dengue virus serotypes (DEN -1, -2, -3, -4) which are immunologically related and can all cause dengue fever. Although related, the four serotypes do not provide cross-protective immunity against each other, resulting in patients in endemic regions often having more than one infection during their lifetime. The risk of DHF rises substantially with second or subsequent infections, further emphasising the need for early diagnosis that enables early treatment and care.’
* The new global brand of Inverness Medical, Existing brands, including BinaxNOW, Cholestech LDX, Clearview, Determine, Panbio and Triage, will be changed to the single global brand name, Alere.
Details: www.alere.com and www.panbiodengue.com
07.07.2010
