Open AccessThe sensitivity and specificity of Lassa virus IgM by ELISA as screening tool at early phase of Lassa fever infection
Author(s) -
Titus S Ibekwe,
Maxwell M. Nwegbu,
Danny Asogun,
Donatus I Adomeh,
Peter O. Okokhere
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
nigerian medical journal/nigerian medical journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2229-774X
pISSN - 0300-1652
DOI - 10.4103/0300-1652.107552
Subject(s) - lassa fever , serology , gold standard (test) , medicine , virology , lassa virus , immunoglobulin m , antigen , immunology , antibody , virus , immunoglobulin g
Early diagnosis, prompt treatment, and disease containment are vital measures in the management of Lassa fever (LF), a lethal and contagious arenaviral hemorrhagic disease prevalent in West Africa. Lassa Virus (LAV)-specific Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test, the gold standard for diagnosis, is unavailable in most centers. Serologic detection of LAV IgM is a more accessible tool and this work was to investigate its adequacy as an early marker for LF.