Diagnose dengue fever after only 4 hours

Dengue virus laboratory, Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, has just completed the biology kit to quickly diagnose Dengue dengue, giving results after 4 hours.

Prof. Truong Uyen Ninh . (Photo: VNN)

According to Dr. Truong Uyen Ninh in charge of Arbo laboratory - Dengue fever, dengue fever or Dengue fever (DHF) is an acute viral infection caused by 4 types of Dengue virus. The disease has no specific vaccines and treatment drugs.

Therefore, early and accurate detection for epidemiologists to take timely preventive measures and clinicians who have a positive approach to treatment is essential.

Stemming from this requirement, scientists from the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology produced a rapid diagnostic kit for dengue fever (Kit MAC-ELISA).

In fact, the rapid diagnostic kit was first produced in 1998. At that time, the Dengue virus antigen was produced by implanting the virus into the brain of white mice. To increase the sensitivity and specificity of the kit, during 2000-2005, the team led by GS Ninh improved the kit by producing recombinant antigens.

Recombinant antigens were produced by transplanting Dengue virus on mosquito cells (Aedes albopictus C6 / 36 strain) and then transplanted to E. coli cells and finally, extraction, refining . In this way, the team has increased the sensitivity of the kit to 97.9% and the specificity is 100%, not inferior to the same type of foreign product, such as Panbio's bio-product set (Australia).

MAC-ELISA kit (Photo: VNN)

The kit is very compact, with a simple operation principle. When someone is infected with the Dengue virus, their immune system often produces IgM - an early antibody to the antigen of the virus. IgM antibodies in blood samples will attach to the antibody-antigen complex plus other components in the kit, making the solution change color after 4 hours. In this way, the doctor can determine if someone is DHF for a short time.

GS Ninh added with this kit, just taking a sample of the blood as soon as possible can accurately conclude . Doctors can conduct 96 tests with each kit. The price of each set is US $ 35, which is one-tenth of the price of imported kits. So far, the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology has provided hundreds of these types of kits to provinces in the North, Central and Central Highlands.

Minh Son