Begum Mst Noorjahan, Tony Selim Reza, Samia Nure Sharaf Nower, Karim Yeasir, Ghosh Kinkar, Mobarak Reaz, Tayab Md Abu, Sarkar Probir Kumar, Ahmed Farhana, Parvez Mashud, Dola Nigha Zannat, Rashed Afsana, Khair Sabik, Alam Shaheen, Jubair Mohammad, Rahman Mustafizur
Virology Laboratory, Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Mohakhali, Dhaka-1212, Bangladesh.
Genome Centre, Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Mohakhali, Dhaka-1212, Bangladesh.
IJID Reg. 2025 May 14;15:100670. doi: 10.1016/j.ijregi.2025.100670. eCollection 2025 Jun.
Dengue virus (DENV) remains a major public health threat worldwide, with a significant burden in Bangladesh. Despite whole blood being the gold standard for DENV detection, emerging evidence suggests that non-blood specimens, such as nasopharyngeal swabs (NPSs), may offer a less invasive alternative for diagnosis. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of NPSs for detecting DENV RNA in pediatric patients in Bangladesh.
We collected 130 paired NPS and blood specimens from children with suspected dengue (aged 1 month to 15 years) at Bangladesh Shishu Hospital and Institute. Viral RNA was extracted from both sample types and subsequently detected using real-time polymerase chain reaction.
Of the 130 paired specimens, DENV RNA was detected in 115 blood samples and 104 NPSs. Compared with blood, NPS exhibited a sensitivity of 90.43%, specificity of 100%, and overall accuracy of 91.54%. An analysis of demographic and clinical factors revealed no significant differences between NPS-positive and -negative cases.
This study underscores the potential of NPSs as a viable alternative diagnostic specimen for DENV detection, particularly, in settings where blood collection is difficult. Integrating NPS into existing diagnostic and surveillance systems could enhance early detection and outbreak management, ultimately improving patient care and public health response.
登革病毒（DENV）仍然是全球主要的公共卫生威胁，在孟加拉国造成了巨大负担。尽管全血是登革病毒检测的金标准，但新出现的证据表明，非血液标本，如鼻咽拭子（NPS），可能提供一种侵入性较小的诊断替代方法。本研究旨在评估鼻咽拭子在孟加拉国儿科患者中检测登革病毒RNA的诊断性能。
我们从孟加拉国儿童医院和研究所收集了130对疑似登革热儿童（年龄1个月至15岁）的鼻咽拭子和血液标本。从两种样本类型中提取病毒RNA，随后使用实时聚合酶链反应进行检测。
在130对标本中，115份血液样本和104份鼻咽拭子检测到登革病毒RNA。与血液相比，鼻咽拭子的灵敏度为90.43%，特异性为100%，总体准确率为91.54%。对人口统计学和临床因素的分析显示，鼻咽拭子阳性和阴性病例之间没有显著差异。
本研究强调了鼻咽拭子作为登革病毒检测可行替代诊断标本的潜力，特别是在采血困难的情况下。将鼻咽拭子纳入现有的诊断和监测系统可以加强早期检测和疫情管理，最终改善患者护理和公共卫生应对。
