Advances in RT-PCR-Based Point-of-Care Systems for Rapid Detection of Dengue Virus Serotypes: A Narrative Review

Four different dengue virus serotypes (DENV-1 to DENV-4) cause dengue fever, which is a major global health concern, especially in tropical and subtropical areas. Given the increased severity of secondary infections, timely and accurate identification of circulating serotypes is essential for both clinical management and public health response. Despite their widespread use, traditional diagnostic techniques like virus isolation and serological assays have drawbacks like infrastructure dependence, cross-reactivity, and delayed antibody responses. With its high sensitivity, specificity, and capacity to distinguish between serotypes, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) has become the gold standard for the early and precise detection of dengue viral RNA. Recent developments have produced RT-PCR-based point-of-care (POC) platforms that combine multiplexing, portability, and rapid processing, making them appropriate for use in the field and resource-constrained environments. The molecular underpinnings of dengue serotyping are examined in this review, along with the development of RT-PCR methods and new POC-RT-PCR systems intended for serotype-specific dengue diagnosis. Also discussed are their integration with digital health platforms, clinical and epidemiological applications used, obstacles to widespread adoption, and future directions. These developments represent a paradigm shift in dengue virus diagnostics and offer capacity for better patient care, surveillance, and outbreak preparedness in endemic regions.