Dengue antibody igm, elisa Test
Dengue antibody igm, elisa
Dengue is a mosquito-borne disease that is becoming a major threat in tropical and sub-tropical countries. the dengue virus is transmitted by the bite of the domestic mosquito, aedes aegypti, and sometimes by aedes albopictus and aedes polynesiensis which act as a carrier or vector for this disease. at times, dengue can develop into a more serious form called dengue hemorrhagic fever (dhf). if not treated on time, dhf may lead to a life-threatening situation with symptoms such as blood vessel damage and shock, caused by a severe drop in blood pressure.
this test is carried out to detect the presence of specific antibodies such as igm in the patient’s serum. the antibody is produced in response to dengue infection. igm antibody capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (mac-elisa) test is a qualitative detection of igm antibodies caused due to the dengue virus infection.
dengue antibody igm, elisa test is also known as dengue fever antibodies, dengue fever virus, mac-elisa.
symptoms of dengue
High fever
Headache
joint and muscle pain
nausea and vomiting
skin rash
who should get tested?
Dengue test should be performed in any of the following cases:
Development of sudden fever and flu-like symptoms within 4-7 days after being bitten by a dengue mosquito
Recent travel to a tropical or sub-tropical country
Test preparation:
a blood sample is taken by inserting a needle in a vein in the arm and drawing enough blood for testing. the sample is collected in a vial or test tube. the entire process takes less than 5 minutes. no special preparations, such as fasting, are required to be taken by the person undergoing a dengue fever test.
Interpretation of results
the results obtained for antibody igm in case of dengue fever are interpreted in the way shown below:
value of igm antibody |
interpretation |
remarks |
<0.9 |
negative |
no igm antibody detected. repeat the test after 7-14 days if an infection is suspected. |
0.9-1.1 |
equivocal |
retesting advised |
>1.1 |
positive |
igm antibody detected. primary/secondary dengue infection is suggested. |
Â
stage of dengue infection |
incubation period for igm detection |
primary |
5th-10th day |
secondary |
4th-5th day |
FAQs
What is the difference between dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever (dhf)?
people falling sick with dengue fever may show mild to severe symptoms of the illness. when the situation turns life-threatening, with symptoms such as blood vessel damage and shock, it is called dengue hemorrhagic fever (dhf). it requires immediate medical intervention, or it may even result in the death of a person.
where does dengue fever predominantly occur?
dengue fever is common in tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world, especially in parts of africa, the caribbean, the eastern mediterranean, south-east asia, and the western pacific. travelers to these regions are more prone to getting infected by the aedes species of mosquito
are there any risks associated with this test?
since this test requires blood to be drawn from inside a vein in the arm, it may cause a feeling of pricking pain or discomfort at the site of injection. this feeling usually goes away on its own within a couple of minutes. other than this, there may be slight bruising or infection at the site where the needle went in, which is rare
how does mac-elisa technique detect dengue?
after collection of the blood sample, qualitative detection of dengue virus igm antibodies is done using the mac-elisa technique. in this, human igm antibodies are captured using a microtiter plate using a combination of human-igm antibodies and dengue virus antigens. these dengue-specific antigens are derived from the envelope proteins of four different variants of the dengue virus serotypes (denv-1-4).
what is dengue shock syndrome?
after the initial symptoms of dengue progress into the second phase of the disease, the dengue virus may attack the blood vessels, causing capillaries to leak fluid in the space surrounding the lungs. the loss of blood and fluid during this phase can lead to a fatal condition called dengue shock syndrome. a person in this state may be required to be hospitalized in order to stabilize the falling blood pressure and prevent dehydration due to fluid loss