Table of contents:
- When should a blood check for dengue be done?
- Types of blood checks to check for DHF
- 1. The NS1 test
- 2. IgM ELISA
- 3. Hemagglutination Inhibition Assay (HI)
- What should be prepared before doing a dengue blood check?
- Side effects of DHF blood check
Fluctuating fever is often associated with the symptoms of dengue fever. Even so, fever is a very common symptom and can occur in any health problem, including fever. Usually, a person who is suspected of dengue fever must have a series of complete blood tests to confirm whether or not the dengue virus is in their blood. Then, what types of blood checks must be done to confirm or diagnose dengue?
When should a blood check for dengue be done?
Dengue hemorrhagic fever or DHF is a disease transmitted through mosquito bites Aedes who are infected with the dengue virus.
There are four serotypes of dengue virus that cause DHF, namely DENV-1, -2, -3, and -4. Infection from these viruses causes various symptoms such as fever, dizziness, pain in the eyeballs, muscles, joints, and rash.
Usually, a dengue fever test will only be carried out when the doctor suspects that you have the dengue virus.
Here are the symptoms that determine that you are most likely to have dengue:
- A sudden high fever, even reaching 40 degrees Celsius
- Fever lasts 2-7 days
- A rash and red spots appear on the skin
- Pain in the muscles, joints, and back of the eyeball
- Stomach ache
- Nausea and frequent vomiting, sometimes accompanied by blood
- Nosebleeds and bleeding gums
A dengue fever test is also highly recommended if you develop a high fever within 2 weeks of returning from a country or area affected by an outbreak of dengue fever.
Types of blood checks to check for DHF
At first, the doctor will see the symptoms that appear and ask you to do a complete blood test. This test will see the levels of several components in the blood, namely hemoglobin, hematocrit, leukocytes and platelets.
Based on guidelines from WHO, a person will be suspected of having dengue fever if the results of a blood check in the lab show:
- Hematocrit increases by 5-10%
- Platelets less than 150 thousand / microliter
- Leukocytes less than 5,000 / microliter
Even so, the results of these lab tests could lead to a diagnosis of other diseases that are not dengue fever. Dengue virus infection is difficult to diagnose without laboratory tests because the symptoms are similar to other health problems, such as malaria.
Therefore, if the signs and symptoms that appear are not so typical, the doctor will advise the patient to undergo further investigations to support DHF.
Here are the types of tests to determine for sure whether you have dengue fever.
1. The NS1 test
Usually, this test is done to detect the dengue virus antigen when new symptoms appear. If you already experience symptoms of DHF, such as a high fever for 3 days, then you will be asked to do the NS1 test, as an initial DHF examination.
The NS1 laboratory examination is quite accurate and effective in diagnosing dengue fever. If the result is positive, it means that you have dengue fever.
If the results are negative but the symptoms of dengue fever continue to appear, then you are advised to undergo further tests, such as Anti-dengue IgG and IgM, as well as routine hematology.
This is important to do so that you can get dengue fever treatment early and prevent the complications of dengue that arise if you let it be too long.
2. IgM ELISA
Enzym Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) is a test that is usually done after 5 days of dengue fever symptoms appear. The results of this lab examination will detect the dengue virus IgM and IgG antibodies in DHF sufferers.
Usually, IgM will appear first about 7-10 days after the body is exposed to the dengue virus. Then, the level of IgM in the blood will continue to rise over the course of a few weeks and decrease gradually. Therefore, if the results of the dengue virus IgM antibody is positive, it means you have an acute infection.
3. Hemagglutination Inhibition Assay (HI)
This method is used to detect IgG antibodies. IgG antibodies appear later than IgM and are a marker of chronic infection. The detection of IgG antibodies can be used to see whether the dengue virus infection is a primary or secondary infection.
If your test results show positive IgG and low or negative IgM, this indicates that you have been infected with the dengue virus before.
However, if your IgG titer increases 4 times or greater, for example at the first test of 1: 4, then 2-4 weeks after that the second test of the titer is 1:64, it means that you have had a recent dengue virus infection.
Furthermore, if the IgM or IgG results are negative, it means that the symptoms caused are not due to dengue virus infection, perhaps due to other causes. This lab examination is indeed provided to find out DHF. Even so, usually the results of the DBD HAI lab take a long time.
Well, these three types of examinations are tests that are often recommended by doctors to find out whether you have the dengue virus or not. Therefore, it is highly recommended that if you experience symptoms similar to dengue fever, consult a doctor immediately to get confirmation.
What should be prepared before doing a dengue blood check?
Actually, there isn't. The DBD supporting examination only requires a sample of your blood to be examined, the rest will be submitted by an expert and you are just waiting.
Side effects of DHF blood check
You are less likely to experience negative effects. However, after taking blood, you may feel some pain or bruising. Usually, these symptoms will disappear within a few hours.
If you get a positive result from a laboratory examination of dengue fever, then immediately consult your doctor. How to deal with it and whether you have to be hospitalized intensively.
