Development of a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction method for yellow fever virus detection

Yellow fever is considered a re-emerging disease and is endemic in tropical regions of Africa and South America. At present, there are no standardized or commercialized kits available for yellow fever virus detection. Therefore, diagnosis must be made by time-consuming routine techniques, and sometimes, the virus or its proteins are not detected. Furthermore, co-circulation with other flaviviruses, including dengue virus, increases the difficulty of diagnosis.

To develop a specific reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and nested PCR-based assay to improve the detection and diagnosis of yellow fever virus using both serum and fresh tissue samples.

RT-PCR primers were designed to amplify a short fragment of all yellow fever virus genotypes reported. A second set of primers was used in a nested PCR to increase sensitivity. Thirty-three clinical samples were tested with the standardized reaction.

The expected amplicon was obtained in 25 out of 33 samples analyzed using this approach, and 2 more samples tested positive after a subsequent nested PCR approach.

This improved technique not only ensures the specific detection of a wide range of yellow fever virus genotypes but also may increase the sensitivity of detection by introducing a second round of amplification, allowing a rapid differential diagnosis between dengue and yellow fever infection, which is required for effective surveillance and opportune epidemiologic measures.