Latest Advances in Arbovirus Diagnostics

Abstract

Arboviruses are a diverse family of vector-borne pathogens that include members of the Flaviviridae, Togaviridae, Phenuviridae, Peribunyaviridae, Reoviridae, Asfarviridae, Rhabdoviridae, Orthomyxoviridae and Poxviridae families. It is thought that new world arboviruses such as yellow fever virus emerged in the 16th century due to the slave trade from Africa to America. Severe disease-causing viruses in humans include Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), yellow fever virus (YFV), dengue virus (DENV), West Nile virus (WNV), Zika virus (ZIKV), Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV), severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) and Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV). Numerous methods have been developed to detect the presence of these pathogens in clinical samples, including enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), lateral flow assays (LFAs) and reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Most of these assays are performed in centralized laboratories due to the need for specialized equipment, such as PCR thermal cyclers and dedicated infrastructure. More recently, molecular methods have been developed which can be performed at a constant temperature, termed isothermal amplification, negating the need for expensive thermal cycling equipment. In most cases, isothermal amplification can now be carried out in as little as 5–20 min. These methods can potentially be used as inexpensive point of care (POC) tests and in-field deployable applications, thus decentralizing the molecular diagnosis of arboviral disease. This review focuses on the latest developments in isothermal amplification technology and detection techniques that have been applied to arboviral diagnostics and highlights future applications of these new technologies.

PfAgo-Based Zika Virus Detection

“…Its genome encodes a polyprotein categorized into three structural proteins (capsid (C), pre-membrane (prM), and envelope (E)) and seven non-structural proteins (NS1, NS2A, NS2B, NS3, NS4A, NSB, and NS5) [ 1 ]. As a mosquito-borne flavivirus, the virus transmits primarily through Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and can also transmit through sexual intercourse, blood transfusion, and from mother to infant [ 2 , 3 ]. ZIKV infection tends to be asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic and even can cause more severe clinical diseases, such as Guillain–Barré syndrome in adults and children.…”

Performance evaluation of TaqMan™Arbovirus Triplex Kit (ZIKV/DENV/CHIKV) for detection and differentiation of Dengue and Chikungunya viral RNA in serum samples of symptomatic patients

“…Both antibody detection tests such as enzyme linked immuno-assays (ELISA), antigen detection ELISA's and molecular tests (PCR) have been widely used for arbovirus detection. However, the phase of infection at time of sample collection or exposure to other antigenically related viruses can affect the result validity (12,13). Both DENV and CHIKV can be detected in the blood as early as 2 days before the onset of symptoms.…”