Portable Test Differentiates Seven Mosquito-Borne Viruses at Point of Care

Mosquito-borne viral illnesses can present with overlapping symptoms such as fever, joint pain, fatigue, and rash, making them difficult to distinguish without laboratory testing. In these settings, clinicians may have to rely on assumptions about which viruses are circulating locally, even though accurate differentiation can be important for clinical management. New findings now demonstrate a handheld approach capable of simultaneously testing for seven mosquito-borne viruses.

University of Florida scientists have developed an inexpensive, handheld device designed to detect seven mosquito-borne illnesses without a power supply, bulky equipment, or extensive training. The device is intended for low-resource or remote settings where conventional laboratory testing may not be available. It was described in Analytical Chemistry.

The system is based on reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification, or RT-LAMP. Like reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), RT-LAMP detects small amounts of genetic material from viruses, bacteria, and other organisms. Unlike PCR, it operates at a single temperature, enabling simpler equipment and results in 30 minutes to one hour.

The latest version is designed to test for Zika, chikungunya, Mayaro, and four types of dengue viruses. These viruses circulate in Haiti, other Caribbean nations, and many countries in the Americas. When validated with human samples, the device performed as well as a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction test, which was described as the gold standard of diagnostic testing for mosquito-borne viruses.

The team miniaturized laboratory functions using accessible components. A mechanism inspired by a ballpoint pen dispenses liquid reagents without traditional pipettes. A commercially available USB coffee mug holds waterproof test samples at a specific temperature, and a blue-light flashlight can be used to interpret positive or negative color results.

The device is believed to be the first RT-LAMP-based technology capable of simultaneously testing for seven viruses. The team is seeking patents and aims to integrate components to make the system more user-friendly and less expensive. With changes to the chemistry, the researchers said the device could be used to test for viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens in humans, animals, and the environment.

“I'm most excited about the device's simplicity, cost-effectiveness and that it is based on proven technology. It's easy to get excited about something that's cheap and easy to use, but if it's not based on effective chemistry, it's meaningless,” said John Lednicky, Ph.D., a research professor in the Department of Environmental and Global Health.

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