[Serological and virological diagnosis for dengue infection]

For many years dengue fever has been one of the most serious diseases in southeast Asia. A dengue type 2 epidemic occurred in Liuchiu, Pingtung in 1981. A recent epidemic, primarily of dengue type 1 has been in progress in southern Taiwan since 1987. In clinical aspects, dengue infection may be confused with measles, rubella, influenza, acute mumps, enteric viral infection and food allergies. Only definite confirmation is possible through serological and virological methods. All four serotypes of the dengue virus, however, are antigenically similar, and their antibodies are also cross-reactive with other flaviviruses. This phenomenom renders the specificity of many serological tests to be less accurate than they should be. Thus, improved virus isolation and identification becomes a necessary tool in proving the dengue infection. This article offers a brief review of some serological tests including the hemagglutination inhibition test, IgG- and MAC-ELISA, the plaque reduction neutralization test, and virological tests including antigen capture ELISA and indirect immunofluorescence antibody assay, with emphasis on their application to the diagnosis of dengue infection.