Underreporting of Dengue-4 in Brazil due to low sensitivity of the NS1 Ag test in routine control programs

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 8; no. 5; p. e64056
• Main Authors: Sea, Vanessa Ramos Faria, Cruz, Ana Cecília Ribeiro, Gurgel, Ricardo Q, Nunes, Bruno Tardelli Diniz, Silva, Eliana Vieira Pinto, Dolabella, Silvio S, dos Santos, Roseli La Corte
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 23-05-2013; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Antibodies, Viral - blood; Antigens; Antigens, Viral - immunology; Biology; Brazil - epidemiology; Consent; Control programs; Dengue; Dengue - diagnosis; Dengue - epidemiology; Dengue - immunology; Dengue fever; Dengue Virus - immunology; Deoxyribonucleic acid; Diagnostic Errors; Disease control; Disease transmission; DNA; Engineering; Epidemics; Ethics; Health aspects; Health surveillance; Humans; Incidence; Laboratories; Medicine; Polymerase chain reaction; Population studies; Public health; Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; Science Policy; Sensitivity; Sensitivity and Specificity; Serotypes; Test procedures; Vector-borne diseases; Viral Nonstructural Proteins - immunology; Viruses; Brazil; Rio de Janeiro Brazil; California; Roraima; United States > US
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0064056

We have identified fifty-eight samples that were positive for Dengue-4 among 119 samples with negative diagnoses for dengue via the Platelia™ dengue NS1 Ag in Aracaju, State of Sergipe, Brazil. We determined that the low sensitivity of the NS1 Ag test could be related to secondary dengue infections in the studied population. Therefore, we concluded that the sensitivity and specificity of the Platelia™ dengue NS1 Ag test as a screening method for monitoring circulating dengue serotypes must be reevaluated. In addition, regional endo-epidemic profiles should also be considered due to the prevalence of secondary responses.