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Updated: May 25, 2026
Dried Blood Spots - Preparing and Processing for Use in Immunoassays and in Molecular Techniques
Published on: March 13, 2015
Current and future applications of dried blood spots in viral disease management
Ingrid J M Snijdewind1, Jeroen J A van Kampen, Pieter L A Fraaij
1Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus MC, P.O. Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Insights
Dried blood spot (DBS) cards offer stable, minimally invasive sampling for viral infection diagnosis. This method enhances biomarker analysis, aiding global health initiatives and outbreak management.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Clinical Diagnostics
- Public Health
Background:
- Dried blood spot (DBS) cards have been used for diagnostics for nearly 50 years.
- Their stability and ease of handling are advantageous for sample transport and storage.
- Novel techniques allow sensitive analysis of nucleic acids, proteins, and small molecules from small DBS samples.
Purpose of the Study:
- To survey the literature on the use of DBS cards for diagnosing and monitoring viral infections beyond HIV.
- To explore the potential of DBS cards in resource-limited settings and for difficult-to-access populations.
- To assess the role of DBS cards in epidemiological studies and outbreak surveillance.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies utilizing DBS cards for viral infection diagnosis.
- Analysis of applications in diagnosis, monitoring, and epidemiological studies for various viruses (CMV, HBV, HCV, etc.).
- Evaluation of DBS card utility in retrospective and prospective studies.
Main Results:
- DBS cards are effective for diagnosing and monitoring viral infections like CMV, HBV, HCV, and others.
- Minimal invasiveness and ease of storage enable biomarker analysis in resource-poor settings.
- Stored DBS cards have been used for newborn screening and retrospective studies.
- Prospective studies utilized DBS for prevalence, surveillance, and treatment follow-up.
Conclusions:
- DBS cards provide a valuable tool for extending viral disease diagnosis and monitoring, especially in challenging settings.
- While not replacing traditional methods, DBS sampling expands accessibility for diagnostics and epidemiological research.
- DBS card technology supports effective management of existing and emerging viral disease outbreaks.
Abstract:
Almost five decades after their first application in diagnostics, dried blood spot (DBS) cards remain to be of key interest in many research areas and clinical applications. The advantages of sample stability during transport and storage, can now be combined with the high sensitivity of novel diagnostic techniques for the measurement and analysis of nucleic acids, proteins and small molecules which may overcome the limitations of the small samples sizes in DBS cards. Here we present a survey of the literature on the use of DBS cards for diagnosis, monitoring and epidemiological studies of virus infections other than HIV, including CMV, HBV, HCV, HAV, HEV, HTLV, EBV, HSV, measles-, rubella- and dengue-virus. The minimal invasiveness of sampling and the relative ease of handling and storing DBS cards is expected to offer additional opportunities to measure and analyze biomarkers of viral disease in resource poor settings or when limited amount of blood can be obtained. Large retrospective studies of virus infections in newborns using stored DBS cards have already been undertaken for screening of congenital infections. In addition, DBS cards have been used prospectively for prevalence studies, outbreak surveillance, mass screening for viral infections, follow-up of chronic infection and its treatment in resource-limited areas. We do not expect that current wet sampling techniques of plasma or serum will be replaced by DBS sampling but it allows extension of sampling in persons and settings that are currently difficult to access or that lack suitable storage facilities. In conclusion, DBS card sampling and storage will aid adequate outbreak management of existing and emerging viral diseases.
