Using Rapid Analyte Measurement Platform (RAMP) as a Tool for an Early Warning System Assessing West Nile Virus Epidemiological Risk in Bucharest, Romania

Abstract

West Nile virus (WNV) is the most widely spread arbovirus in the world. Early detection of this virus in mosquito populations is essential for implementing rapid vector control measures to prevent outbreaks. Real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (real-time RT-PCR) is a powerful tool for the detection of WNV in mosquito pools, but it is a time- and resource-consuming assay. We used a Rapid Analyte Measurement Platform (RAMP) assay in a vector surveillance program for rapid detection of WNV in mosquitoes collected in Bucharest city, Romania, in 2021. The positive mosquito pools were tested for confirmation with real-time RT-PCR. Three out of the 24 RAMP assay positive pools were not confirmed by real-time RT-PCR. We consider that RAMP assay can be used as a fast and reliable method for the screening of WNV presence in mosquito pools, but we recommend that samples with values ranging from 30 to 100 RAMP units should fall in a grey zone and should be considered for real-time RT-PCR confirmation.