Health is Wealth

COMPARATIVE STUDY OF ELISA AND RAPID SEROLOGICAL TECHNIQUES FOR THE DIAGNOSIS OF DENGUE FEVER IN PAEDIATRIC CASES IN ANDHRA PRADESH
INTRODUCTION
Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne flavivirus infection of humans caused by four serologically distinct viruses (dengue virus 1, 2, 3, 4)4. Dengue and its severe manifestations, dengue hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome are the serious public health problems in the tropics4. Dengue is the most important mosquito borne disease in the world especially in the tropics, causing regular epidemics in these regions4.
In India, dengue virus infections have been frequently encountered in epidemic proportions in several states3. In southern India, the disease has been reported in Tamil Nadu3, Karnataka3, Andhra Pradesh3, and Kerala3. The most recent dengue fever outbreak in Andhra Pradesh was in 20065. A significant increase in the number of children being affected by dengue virus was observed in a study done at Vellore between 1999 and 20031. Dengue is a fast emerging health concern in South India1.
Diagnosis of dengue infection is easily and best accomplished by demonstrating specific IgM antibodies in the blood4. Conventionally, this is done by using an IgM capture ELISA, which has to be done in the laboratory and takes a few hours to complete4. A newer method that has emerged is a rapid immunochromatographic card test with which a bedside test can be done for both IgM and IgG antibodies in the serum4. While the ELISA test is known to be a standard test, the results of the rapid technique are not consistent2.
OBJECTIVES
The objective of this study is:
To compare the sensitivity of the rapid immunochromatographic test to the known sensitivity of the ELISA test in a paediatric tertiary care hospital in Andhra Pradesh.
MATERIALS AND METHODOLOGY
STUDY SETTING: The study will be conducted in a tertiary care hospital, Niloufer Hospital (Government) in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh.
STUDY PERIOD: The study will be done in a period of two months, May and June, 2009.
STUDY SAMPLE: Infants and children who are suspected to be suffering from dengue fever by their clinical presentation and laboratory parameters (such as platelet count)__.
SAMPLE SIZE: A study sample of a minimum of __ cases reporting to this hospital
METHOD: Blood samples will be collected from suspected patients of dengue fever. They will then be analyzed by ELISA technique and by rapid immunochromatographic technique. The sensitivity of the rapid test will then be compared to the ELISA test.
STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Basic proportions and percentages.
IMPLICATIONS
The study will:
Indicate the sensitivity of a rapid immunochromatographic test compared to the standard ELISA test.
In the case that the rapid immunochromatographic test is found to be as sensitive as ELISA, the study will expedite the diagnosis of dengue of patients reporting to the tertiary health care center.