Paper-based point-of-care testing for cost-effective diagnosis of acute flavivirus infections

Flavivirus infections are a serious healthcare concern in tropical and subtropical countries. Although well-established laboratory tests can provide early diagnosis of acute dengue or Zika infections, access to these tests is limited in developing countries, presenting an urgent need to develop simple, rapid, and robust diagnostic tools. Microfluidic Paper-based Analytical Devices (μPAD), are typically rapid, cost-effective, user-friendly, and they can be used as diagnostic tools for the diagnosis of these infections at Point of Care settings. Early and prompt diagnosis is crucial to improve patient management and reduce the risk of complications. In the present study, we developed and evaluated a wax-printed paper-based device for the detection of the dengue and Zika non-structural NS1 viral protein in blood and plasma. Experiments have been carried out to increase specificity, while maintaining the required sensitivity. As a consequence, the quality of the raw materials and the washing steps were proved to be crucial. The μPAD was able to detect specifically in 6-8 min 10 ng/mL of protein in various sample types. A prototype for the differential detection of dengue and/or Zika NS1 protein was developed. The reading of the results was simplified by using a dedicated application on a smartphone.