Temperature of a Dengue Rapid Diagnostic Test under Tropical Climatic Conditions: A Follow Up Study

PLoS One. 2017 Jan 27;12(1):e0170359. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0170359. eCollection 2017.

Abstract

The Dengue Duo Rapid Diagnostic Test (SD Dengue RDT) has good specificity and sensitivity for dengue diagnosis in rural tropical areas. In a previous study, using four control sera, we demonstrated that that the diagnostic accuracy of these RDTs remains stable after long-term storage at high temperatures. We extended this study by testing sera from 119 febrile patients collected between July-November 2012 at Salavan Provincial Hospital (southern Laos) with RDTs stored for 6 months at 4°C, 35° and in a hut (miniature traditional house) at Lao ambient temperatures. The dengue NS1 antigen results from RDTs stored at 35°C and in the hut demonstrated 100% agreement with those stored at 4°C. However, lower positive percent agreements, with broad 95%CI, were observed for the tests: IgM, 60% (14.7-94.7) and 40% (5.3-85.3) for RDTs store at 35°C and in the hut, compared to those stored at 4°C, respectively. This study strenghtens the evidence of the robustness of the NS1 antigen detection RDT for the diagnosis of dengue after storage at tropical temperatures.

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies, Viral / chemistry
  • Antibodies, Viral / immunology
  • Dengue / diagnosis*
  • Dengue / virology
  • Dengue Virus / isolation & purification*
  • Dengue Virus / pathogenicity
  • Diagnostic Tests, Routine / standards*
  • Female
  • Hot Temperature
  • Humans
  • Laos
  • Male
  • Reagent Kits, Diagnostic / standards*
  • Tropical Climate
  • Viral Nonstructural Proteins / immunology

Substances

  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Reagent Kits, Diagnostic
  • Viral Nonstructural Proteins

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Wellcome Trust, IRD, Standard Diagnostics for supply of dengue RDTs. Standard Diagnostics has no role in the planning, analysis, writing or decision to publish this paper.