DENGUE IgM & IgG Antibodies (ELISA)

Interpretation:

This test detects the presence of Dengue NS1 antigen & IgM, IgG antibodies to dengue virus and should not be used as sole criteria for diagnosis of dengue infection. In early infections and some secondary infections, detectable levels of IgM antibodies may be low. Some patients may not produce detectable levels of antibody within the first 7 to 10 days after infection. Where symptoms persist, patients should be retested 3-5 days after the first testing date. Serological cross-reactivity across the Flavivirus group (Dengue virus, St. Louis encephalitis, Japanese encephalitis, West Nile and yellow fever virus) is common. If the test result is negative and clinical symptoms persist, additional follow up testing using other clinical methods is recommended. A negative result at any time does not preclude the possibility of an early infection of Dengue virus.

This is only a screening test. Therefore, isolation of virus, antigen detection in fixed tissues, RT-PCR and serological test like hemagglutination inhibition test, more specific alternative diagnosis method must be used in order to obtain a confirmation of dengue virus infection.