The molecular diagnostic test detects dengue fever from saliva samples within 30 minutes

By LabMedica editorial team in Spanish
Updated on October 23, 2023

Dengue fever is a viral disease caused by dengue virus (DENV), an RNA virus from the Flaviviridae family, genus Flavivirus, which is carried by mosquitoes. Every year, up to 400 million people are infected with DENV. Of this number, around 100 million people fell ill and 40,000 people were affected by severe dengue fever. Symptoms of dengue fever usually appear 4 to 7 days after a mosquito bite and can range from mild to severe. These symptoms usually include high fever, severe headaches that are often felt behind the eyes, joint and muscle pain, skin rashes, and light bleeding such as nosebleeds or bleeding gums. In extreme cases, this condition can escalate to dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) or dengue shock syndrome (DSS), both of which can be life-threatening.

About half of the world’s population, about 4 billion people, live in areas at risk of contracting dengue fever. DENV is a major public health problem in various tropical and subtropical regions throughout the world, including parts of Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. DENV testing in remote or rural areas, especially in areas with limited resources, is extremely challenging. In many cases, residents are unable to travel to centralized testing facilities and rely on outreach programs for sample collection. This creates logistical complications, such as maintaining a cold chain to transport samples to centralized laboratories. Now, the introduction of a molecular diagnostic test that analyzes saliva samples and can provide rapid results on site in less than 30 minutes could be a breakthrough in DENV detection.

Image: Molecular diagnostic tests to detect dengue virus will be run on the Geo diagnostics platform (Photo courtesy of ReadyGo Diagnostics)

ReadyGo Diagnostics (Bath, UK) has signed an agreement with Gemina Laboratories (Vancouver, Canada) for the development of a rapid and sensitive saliva-based DENV diagnostic test. ReadyGo will work on developing, optimizing and validating the DENV detection assay to enable Gemina to run on ReadyGo’s off-grid isothermal diagnostic platform called Geo. The Geo platform can provide results in any environment in less than half an hour and is expected to play a critical role in detecting DENV in the patient’s immediate environment, which could significantly improve patient care and outcomes.

The dengue virus has four known serotypes, each capable of causing the full range of dengue fever symptoms. The saliva-based test developed by ReadyGo will be able to identify all four serotypes. ReadyGo’s isothermal PCR test will facilitate DENV diagnosis from saliva samples in less than 30 minutes, even in remote locations. Early diagnosis can lead to immediate medical action, which is critical for controlling and avoiding complications associated with severe cases of dengue fever. Timely medical intervention is critical for severe dengue fever, which is a medical emergency that requires immediate clinical attention. Prompt diagnosis and prompt medical treatment can reduce complications and reduce the risks associated with severe dengue fever.

“I am excited about our partnership with ReadyGo Diagnostics, which goes beyond our TB test to include building a second test on the Geo platform,” said Brian Firth, CEO of Gemina. “At Gemina Labs, our mission is to develop better diagnostic tests for infectious diseases. Our primary focus is to create efficient tests that can be used on the front lines of patient care, whether in the field, at home, or in primary clinics. That’s why the Geo ReadyGo platform left such a strong impression on us, especially in its potential application for the diagnosis and management of dengue fever. “I am very confident that through our partnership with ReadyGo, we will have the ability to produce a rapid and accurate solution for detecting DENV, which will ultimately result in marked improvements in patient outcomes.”

“We are excited to expand our collaboration with Gemina to develop a rapid and sensitive diagnostic test for DENV,” added Ben Cobb, CEO of ReadyGo Diagnostics. “There is an urgent need for decentralized testing, especially in resource-limited areas. ReadyGo has some truly innovative technologies and we are fully dedicated to being the development partner of choice for companies seeking to design simple and affordable molecular diagnostic solutions in a variety of contexts.”

Related links:

Gemina Laboratory

ReadyGo Diagnostics