Dengue virus (DENV) is spread mostly by biting by the infected female mosquitoes of the species Aedes aegypti, that are commonly found in tropical and subtropical zones of globe. Some studies have shown that nearly fifty percent of the globe are susceptible to DENV. Most infections by DENV are asymptomatic. Clinical infections vary from mild fever to serious diseases including hemorrhagic fever and shock syndrome. The main objective of this study was to estimate DENV infection by rapid diagnostic (RDTs) kit methods in a tertiary care setting. This retrospective study was done at Crimson Hospital, Butwal, Nepal from June to November 2019. Serum samples of all dengue fever suspected patients were tested for DENV antigen as Dengue nonstructural protein 1(NS1) and DENV specific antibodies as IgM and IgG by using World Health Organization Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) certified rapid solid phase immunochromatographic method. All laboratory test results were tabulated by using MS-Excel and analyzed by statistical package for the Social Sciences software version 20. Out of 821 samples tested, 518 were positive, including 322 (62.16%) reactive for dengue NS1 Protein, 121 (23.35%) for IgM, 62 (11.96%) for IgG and 13 (2.50%) were positive for both IgG and IgM antibodies. Our study showed high prevalence of dengue infection during monsoon to post-monsoon and the infection rate was higher in males (71.72%) than in females (53.36%). According to our findings, DENV infection is prevalent in Butwal, Nepal. Early diagnosis, better case management, faster public health response and effective health policy towards the control of mosquito vectors may reduce the dengue burden and must be implemented in Nepal.

The disease COVID-19 is brought on by the acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) First appeared in China in December 2019 and quickly spread around the world after being declared a worldwide pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020. COVID-19, Medical Laboratory Professionals, SARS-COV-2, Diagnostic, Importance and difficulties for testing were the selected terms to search the databases of PubMed and Google Scholar for previously published material. Many diagnostic tests are applied in corona virus detection like Droplet Digital PCR (ddPCR), Multiplex PCR, Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) and more. There is a lack of availability of molecular and serologic tests that have been clinically validated or authorized by national or international regulatory bodies. Clinical laboratory experts are tackling threats to our global defense and wellness, including infectious diseases. The opportunity to express gratitude to the unsung medical laboratory heroes and COVID0-19 pandemic allies is now greater than ever. Each year, Medical Laboratory Professionals Week should honors those who contribute key diagnostic data that help save lives. This review article explore overall summary on testing methods including Important and Difficult Tasks for Medical Laboratories which will provide good message for better public health matter.

Genomic sequencing is a sole platform that recognizes and characterizes novel mutants of microorganisms existing in various clinical samples. The main objective of this article is to summarize and provide relevant information regarding genomic sequencing platforms that are widely applied for analyzing mutations in SARS-CoV-2. Various data and literature were reviewed from scientific database like PubMed, Scopus, Google scholars and internet in order to provide collective and reliable information on genomic sequencing. Various Variants of Concern (VOC) and Variants of Interest (VOI) with higher transmissibility and infectivity are detected around the globe among which Nepal is also at high risk stage. According to the Ministry of Health and Population (MOHP) delta variants (B.1.617.2), alpha variants (B.1. 1.7), kappa variants(B.1.617.1) and newly emerged sub lineage of delta variants (A.Y.1) are the predominant one that are circulating in the country. Therefore, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 whole genome sequencing, Next generation sequencing (Illumina MiSeq. and Oxford Nanopore Minion) or Sanger method based on amplicon sequencing are the best optional platforms for the detection of VOC and VOI and to continue monitoring of widespread SARS-CoV-2 for proper therapy and prevention of COVID-19. Besides, variations occurring in the fragment of virus genome may produce gene dropout obstructing with laboratory molecular assays and epidemiological surveys, therefore it is very crucial to detect those markers with the aid of gene sequencing methods in order to establish higher molecular testing strategies.