NS1 Antigen Helps in Early Detection of Dengue Fever

In Indonesia, dengue fever causes a high mortality rate among the people, especially children. Up to present, there is no vaccine for dengue fever. The only preventive measures are by maintaining a healthy lifestyle and environment.

Another noticeable problem of the death cases caused by dengue fever is that the patients were not immediately treated. This late treatment often happens when dengue fever is not detected at its early stages. It gets worse as the symptoms are so varied, not as specific as the regular fever. The typical red spots, which have been believed as the distinctive sign of the disease, now do not always happen to the patients.

Dengue fever as a clinical symptom of dengue virus infection

The known dengue fever is actually a mild clinical symptom of dengue virus infection transmitted into human body by Aedes aegypti mosquito bites. Dengue fever is an acute viral fever which is usually followed by headache, muscles, joints, or bones soreness, and the symptoms of decreasing amount of white blood cells (leukopenia).

Late and poor treatment of the fever may develop it into more severe symptoms, namely dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF)/dengue fever (DF), and dengue shock syndrome (DSS). Dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) or dengue fever (DF) is a fever with symptoms of high fever, hemorrhage, sometimes followed by liver enlargement, and in some advanced cases, there is a blood circulation disruption. Whereas, dengue shock syndrome (DSS) is a severe symptom and may be life threatening. It decreases the blood circulation or plasma volume within the body (hypovolemia) triggered by hemorrhage.

Early detection is key to immediate treatment

Considering the difficulty in detecting the dengue virus infection early merely by the symptoms, a laboratory test becomes one of the prominent supporting tests to establish the diagnosis. There are several tests to detect dengue virus infection. However, people now usually choose to take the serology test of anti-dengue IgG and IgM. Serology test provides good accuracy, immediate result. It is accessible and the price is relatively cheaper than other types of test. Unfortunately, serology test is not yet able to detect the dengue virus in its early stages because the IgM antibody, which indicates new infection, appears only on the 3rd day after the infection or the symptoms rise.

Recently, a test has been developed to help in early detection for dengue virus infection, called NS1 antigen dengue test.

This test is performed to detect the presence of dengue virus antigen and structural protein. Structural protein is needed by the dengue virus to survive and more importantly, to help it enter the host cell. It can be said that NS1 antigen dengue test is a test that detects a part of the dengue virus itself, so there is no need for waiting the bodily responses against the infection. Dengue virus infection can be detected since day 1 until day 3 where the fever starts, even before the thrombocytes decrease.

Early detection of dengue virus infection is very important, so that we will be able to conduct immediate supportive therapy and patient monitoring. By taking the test, the risk of complication such as dengue hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock can be minimized.