Progress and challenges towards pointof-care diagnostic development for dengue

Abstract

Dengue detection strategies involve viral RNA, antigen, and/or antibody detection. Each strategy has its advantages and disadvantages. Optimal, user-friendly, rapid diagnostic tests based on immunochromatographic assays are pragmatic point-ofcare tests (POCTs) in regions where dengue is endemic where there are limited laboratory capabilities and optimal storage conditions. Increasingly, there is a greater public health significance for a multiplexing assay that differentiates dengue from Zika or pathogens with similar clinical presentations. Although there have been many assay/ platform developments toward POCTs, independent validation and implementation remain very limited. This review highlights the current key progress and challenges toward the development of a dengue POCT.