VIASURE Dengue Virus Real Time PCR Detection Kit is designed for specific identification of Dengue virus in clinical samples from patients with signs and symptoms of Dengue virus infection.

This test is intended for use as an aid in the diagnosis of the Dengue virus in combination with clinical and epidemiological risk factors.

RNA is extracted from specimens, amplified using RT-PCR and detected using fluorescent reporter dye probes specific for Dengue virus.

Dengue virus (DENV) belongs to the genus Flavivirus and is transmitted by Aedes sp. mosquitoes. An estimated 50 million dengue infections occur annually and approximately 2.5 billion people live in dengue endemic countries. In non‐endemic countries, dengue is one of the causes of febrile illness among travelers returning from tropical or subtropical areas of the Caribbean, Latin America and Asia.

The majority of DENV infections are asymptomatic. The main symptoms are 2–7 days fever, accompanied by one or more of the following symptoms: headache, retro‐orbital eye pain, joint pain, muscle and/or bone pain, rash, mild bleeding manifestations and low white cell count. After the abrupt onset of the disease, three evolution phases are differentiated: febrile, critic and convalescent. During the critical phase, a fever decrease and an increase in the capillary permeability which suppose a plasma extravasation, which may conduct ascites, pleural effusions and/or fluids accumulation in a third space could be produced.

The diagnosis methods in laboratories in order to confirm infection by Dengue virus implies the detection of virus, viral nucleic acids, antigen and antibodies or a combination of the above techniques detection. Depending on the stage of the illness, the virus may be detected by using one techniques or another. During the first 4-5 days of its appearance (early phase of the infection), virus can be detected in serum, plasma, cells present in blood or in other tissues. Although the most frequently diagnosis method used is the conventional or real time RT-PCR. Subsequently, a serological confirmation it is recommended. However, the cross reactivity of the DENV antibodies with other Flavivirus (including Zika virus) limits its use.