Visual Detection of Dengue-1 RNA Using Gold Nanoparticle-Based Lateral Flow Biosensor

Dengue is a rapidly spreading mosquito-borne viral disease. Early diagnosis is important for clinical screening, medical management, and disease surveillance. The objective of this study was to develop a colorimetric lateral flow biosensor (LFB) for the visual detection of dengue-1 RNA using dextrin-capped gold nanoparticle (AuNP) as label. The detection was based on nucleic acid sandwich-type hybridization among AuNP-labeled DNA reporter probe, dengue-1 target RNA, and dengue-1 specific DNA capture probe immobilized on the nitrocellulose membrane. Positive test generated a red test line on the LFB strip, which enabled visual detection. The optimized biosensor has a cut-off value of 0.01 µM using synthetic dengue-1 target. Proof-of-concept application of the biosensor detected dengue-1 virus in pooled human sera with a cut-off value of 1.2 × 10⁴ pfu/mL. The extracted viral RNA, when coupled with nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA), was detected on the LFB in 20 min. This study first demonstrates the applicability of dextrin-capped AuNP as label for lateral flow assay. The biosensor being developed provides a promising diagnostic platform for early detection of dengue infection in high-risk resource-limited areas.