Using Saliva to Diagnose Dengue Early
Author Information
Author(s): Yap Grace Sil, Bijon Kumar Ng, Lee-Ching Ng
Primary Institution: Environmental Health Institute, National Environment Agency, Singapore
Hypothesis
Can saliva be used effectively for early diagnosis of dengue virus infections?
Conclusion
Saliva-based testing for dengue diagnosis is effective, especially in secondary infections, and offers a non-invasive alternative to blood tests.
Supporting Evidence
- The sensitivity of the saliva test was over 36% in primary infections and 100% in secondary infections within 3 days of fever onset.
- The specificity of the saliva test was found to be 97%.
- Salivary IgA was detected in all secondary dengue cases as early as day 1 after fever onset.
- The ACA-ELISA technique reduced the total test time to 90 minutes.
Takeaway
This study shows that we can use saliva to test for dengue, which is easier and less painful than taking blood.
Methodology
The study used an antigen capture anti-DENV IgA ELISA technique to test saliva samples from dengue-confirmed patients.
Potential Biases
Potential bias in reporting fever onset dates could affect sensitivity results.
Limitations
The sensitivity of the test may vary based on the proportion of primary versus secondary dengue infections in the population.
Participant Demographics
Participants included dengue-confirmed patients and healthy volunteers from Singapore.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Confidence Interval
95%
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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