Dengue can be detected at early stage, new reusable biosensor promises the same

New Delhi: A new eco-friendly, reusable biosensor has been developed by scientists that can rapidly detect dengue viruses from blood samples and that too at an early stage.

Dengue is endemic in all states and union territories (UTs) of India, according to World Health Organization (WHO). In 2015, a total of 99,913 dengue cases and 220 deaths were reported from across the country.

Dengue fever is a severe, flu-like illness that affects infants, young children and adults, and can even lead to deaths.

It is transmitted by the bite of a mosquito infected with one of the four dengue virus serotypes.

Existing detection methods cannot identify all the four types of dengue viruses.

To make an efficient and versatile sensor, scientists from the Amity University in Noida, and Maharshi Dayanand University in Haryana synthesised the biosensor by depositing nanoparticles of zinc oxide, palladium, and platinum on a fluorine-doped tin oxide electrode.

They then coated the electrode with a probe DNA of dengue virus and tested its efficiency in detecting dengue viruses.

"Two and a half years ago, the northern India - mostly Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh - was hit by dengue infections. Hospitals, clinics, pathology labs were overloaded with patients," Jagriti Narang, assistant professor at Amity University, told PTI.

"Since there are no vaccines for the infection, the detection at an early stage is necessary to take precautions," Narang said.

"DNA is double stranded - that is they have two strands that are complementary to each other," Narang said.

"We have deposited single stranded DNA (ssDNA) of dengue virus on the electrode. If the patient is suffering from dengue, then its complementary strand will be able to bind the ssDNA on to the surface of electrode," she said.

(With Agency inputs)