Development of real-time PCR for detection of dengue virus type 1

Objective To develop a real-time PCR method for the detection of dengue viruses.Methods Multiple alignments of dengue virus sequence were designed and used to develop a system of real-time PCR to detect dengue virus type 1 strain.The system was validated for specificity,sensitivity,repeatability,and reproducibility and then applied to a series of human samples.Results The specificity of the system was determined by experimentall tests on different flaviviruses.There were no cross reactions with Japanese encephalitis virus(JEV) and other serotypes of dengue virus.The system allowed the detection of less than one infectious particle and was able to detect dengue virus type 1 in human samples where infectious virus cannot be isolated.Conclusion The system developed is valuable for rapid detection of dengue virus type 1 and epidemiological studies.