DEVELOPMENT OF DNA-LATERAL FLOW STRIP TESTFOR DETECTION OF CHIKUNGUNYA VIRUS

Abstract

Chikungunya is a viral infection caused by the Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), which is spread from person to person by the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito. CHIKV is one of the major public health problems in tropical countries and an epidemic in new areas that increases year by year. Most infected patients often have severe joint pain that affects their daily activities. Currently, the reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) methods have been widely used to detect CHIKV, but it is costly, time-consuming, and requires expertise. Hence, this study was focused on the development of reverse-transcriptase-loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) combined with a lateral flow dipstick (LFD) as the specific and sensitive tool for detection of CHIKV in comparison to RT-PCR. The data revealed that the limitation of RT-LAMP-LFD could detect CHIKV as less as 1 pg/µL, which is 1000 times more sensitive than the RT-PCR methods. In addition, the RT-LAMP-LFD showed no cross-reaction with other viruses and bacteria, such as Dengue virus serotypes 1-4, Zika virus, Influenza virus, Hepatitis C virus, and Staphylococcus aureus. In conclusion the RT-LAMP-LFD is an effective method for the detection of CHIKV, due to its convenience, as well as its high specificity, and sensitivity.-