Bahia can now produce and distribute rapid dengue tests.
Bahiafarma is the first public laboratory in Brazil authorized to produce and market rapid diagnostic tests for dengue, Zika virus, and chikungunya fever, transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito; the entity has the capacity to produce approximately 500 rapid tests per month; the 'Dengue IgG/IgM' test can perform the diagnosis from the fifth day of infection, through the analysis of the presence of immunoglobulin M (IgM) in the patient's body – which indicates that the infection is active – and is also able to identify if the patient has had contact with the dengue virus in the past, through the search for the presence of immunoglobulin G (IgG).
Bahia 247 - Bahiafarma is the first public laboratory in Brazil authorized to produce and market rapid diagnostic tests for dengue, zika virus and chikungunya fever, transmitted by the aedes aegypti mosquito. The license for the production and distribution of devices that detect dengue - the only one that was missing - was granted by the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) and published in the Official Gazette of the Union on Monday (6).
Although it has not yet started producing the device, Bahiafarma has the capacity to produce approximately 500 rapid tests per month. These tests can eliminate citizens' doubts about their health status and, consequently, allow for immediate treatment for those diagnosed with the disease. In 2016 alone, 65.831 probable cases of dengue were reported in Bahia, representing an incidence of 433 cases per 100 inhabitants.
"We work on developing products related to rapid tests. Initially, [focusing on] arboviral diseases. I believe we were successful because we obtained registrations for Zika and Chikungunya, and we will also be able to test for Dengue. Now we are a laboratory with a complete portfolio. This shapes the possibility of Bahiafarma becoming a driving force for development in this economic sector of the state," says Ronaldo Dias, CEO of Bahiafarma.
The records obtained by the Bahia laboratory refer to two types of rapid tests for dengue diagnosis. One detects antibodies produced by infected organisms, the Dengue IgG/IgM, and the other reacts with the NS1 antigen, the Dengue NS1. Developed in partnership with the South Korean laboratory GenBody, the devices work with a small amount of blood, serum, or blood plasma and provide results in up to 20 minutes.
Diagnostic accuracy
The Dengue IgG/IgM test can diagnose dengue from the fifth day of infection by analyzing the presence of immunoglobulin M (IgM) in the patient's body – which indicates that the infection is active – and can also identify if the patient has had contact with the dengue virus in the past, by searching for the presence of immunoglobulin G (IgG).
In the case of the Dengue NS1 rapid test, the device can identify dengue virus infection right at the beginning, even before the patient starts to feel the symptoms of the disease. This allows for faster and more accurate medical intervention.