title: NS1 antigen: A new beam of light in the early diagnosis of dengue infection.
abstract: To evaluate NS1 antigen detection ELISA for the early laboratory diagnosis of dengue virus infection.
  
  
  
  The present study was conducted to evaluate the overall positivity of NS1 antigen detection ELISA and its comparison with viral RNA detection via real time PCR and IgM antibodies detection by ELISA.
  
  
  
  A total of 1270 serum samples were tested 86% (1097/1270) were detected positive by one or more than one diagnostic test. Out of 1 270, 64% (807/1270) were positive by NS1 ELISA and 52% (662/1270), 51% (646/1270) were positive by real-time RT-PCR and IgM ELISA respectively.
  
  
  
  NS1 antigen detection ELISA is highly suitable diagnostic tools and it also has great value for use in outbreak and epidemic situation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan; Department of Virology, National Institute of Health, Park Road, Chak Shahzad, Islamabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suleman
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Rani
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Faryal
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, National Institute of Health, Park Road, Chak Shahzad, Islamabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Muhammad Masroor
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Alam
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, National Institute of Health, Park Road, Chak Shahzad, Islamabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Salmaan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sharif
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, National Institute of Health, Park Road, Chak Shahzad, Islamabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Shahzad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shaukat
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, National Institute of Health, Park Road, Chak Shahzad, Islamabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Uzma Bashir
authors.initials: UB
authors.lastname: Aamir
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, National Institute of Health, Park Road, Chak Shahzad, Islamabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Adnan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khurshid
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, National Institute of Health, Park Road, Chak Shahzad, Islamabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Mehar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Angez
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, National Institute of Health, Park Road, Chak Shahzad, Islamabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Massab
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Umair
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, National Institute of Health, Park Road, Chak Shahzad, Islamabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Mian Muhammad
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Sufian
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, National Institute of Health, Park Road, Chak Shahzad, Islamabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Yasir
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Arshad
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, National Institute of Health, Park Road, Chak Shahzad, Islamabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Ghulam
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mujtaba
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, National Institute of Health, Park Road, Chak Shahzad, Islamabad, Pakistan. Electronic address: sohailz@live.com.
authors.forename: Syed Sohail Zahoor
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Zaidi
keywords: Dengue; ELISA; Epidemiology; NS1 antigen; Pakistan