The Combined Antigen and Antibody Testing Approach Improved the Sensitivity of Early Detection of Dengue Virus Infection

The viral infection has become an important issue for public health within India. It is the foremost common mosquito-borne viral infection in people due to elevated mortality as well as morbidity rates caused by dengue. Hence, it is crucial that a laboratory diagnosis of dengue be carried out early and as quickly as possible. This study examined the possible application of IgM and IgG antibodies, as well as the dengue NS1 antigen, for their sensitivity in the early detection of dengue. All patients with fevers lasting less than four days who visited a medical OPD between April and November 2023 are included in the study. Out of which 155 subjects were positive for the dengue virus were included in the present study. IgM, IgG, and NS1 antigen were measured in the collected specimens by immunochromatographic testing (card test). All samples were subjected to detection of NS1 Ag by ELISA. In all positive cases, dengue-specific parameters like NS1, IgM, and IgG were compared against platelet counts. This study included 155 cases, of which 82 (52.9%) were males and 73 (47.10%) were females. The positive detection rates of combined IgM antibody and NS1 antigen, NS1 antigen alone, and antibody (IgM/IgG) were 69.67%, 16.77%, and 13.56%, respectively. When only NS1 was considered, the sensitivity and specificity of rapid test kits compared to ELISA were 92.06% and 82.76%, respectively. NS1 antigen detection was the most highly sensitive in the early days of infection, but in the latter stages, IgM detection was more sensitive. In the current investigation, NS1 positivity (69.6%) was more commonly associated with the occurrence of thrombocytopenia than the antibodies IgG and IgM (30.43%). For diagnosing dengue, the most economical and sensitive method is to combine the rapid test of NS1 antigen with the IgM/IgG antibody test. It is recommended to combine the NS1 antigen card test with the ELISA assay for the most reliable diagnosis of dengue fever.