Dengue Virus and Yellow Fever Virus Detection Using Reverse Transcription-Insulated Isothermal PCR and Comparison with Real-Time RT-PCR

Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2020 Jul;103(1):157-159. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.19-0892. Epub 2020 May 21.

Abstract

Real-time reverse transcriptase PCR (rRT-PCR) is the most accurate method for the detection of dengue virus (DENV) and yellow fever virus (YFV) in acute illness. However, performing rRT-PCR is not feasible for many laboratories in regions of endemicity. The current study compared new reverse transcription-insulated isothermal PCRs (the POCKIT DENV and YFV reagent sets) with laboratory-developed rRT-PCRs for both viruses using clinical samples and viral strains from different endemic regions. Sensitivity and specificity of the POCKIT DENV Reagent Set were 87.2% (68/78 samples) and 98.2% of samples (54/55), respectively. The YFV reagent set demonstrated sensitive detection of YFV RNA from six viral strains down to an estimated concentration of 2.5 log10 copies/mL and proved to be specific for YFV. Although the POCKIT assays require RNA extraction, they may provide accurate and less-complex options for molecular testing in laboratory settings where rRT-PCR is not practical.

MeSH terms

  • Dengue / diagnosis*
  • Dengue / epidemiology
  • Dengue / virology
  • Dengue Virus / genetics*
  • Endemic Diseases / statistics & numerical data
  • Guatemala / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Paraguay / epidemiology
  • RNA, Viral / genetics*
  • Reagent Kits, Diagnostic
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods*
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / standards
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Sri Lanka / epidemiology
  • Viral Load / genetics
  • Yellow Fever / diagnosis*
  • Yellow Fever / epidemiology
  • Yellow Fever / virology
  • Yellow fever virus / genetics*

Substances

  • RNA, Viral
  • Reagent Kits, Diagnostic