Recent Advances in Dengue Diagnosis

Dengue virus is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that causes a spectrum of illness ranging from asymptomatic infection to dengue fever to dengue haemorrhagic fever or dengue shock syndrome. Dengue virus has four distinct serotypes: DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3 and DEN-4. Dengue virus is endemic in many parts of the world, where it is responsible for significant morbidity and mortality. Laboratory confirmation of dengue infection relies on isolation of the virus in cell culture, identification of viral nucleic acid or antigens, detection of virus specific antibodies or a combination of these techniques. Timing and appropriate use of these diagnostic assays has to be understood.