Dengue is a common and severe health concern in India. The country is a hotspot for breeding mosquitoes following the advent of the monsoons. Among all the dangerous types, the female Aedes mosquito is the vector that plays a crucial role in spreading this deadly virus among humans.

Developments in medical science have gifted the community with a wide range of effective treatments for dengue, thus eliminating the chance of a possible epidemic. Be it drugs, equipment, or tests; we are now protected entirely with a shield of treatment. One such invention of medical science is the dengue NS1 antigen test.

What Is The NS1 Antigen Test?

Most of the time, the early symptoms of dengue will be confusing as they mimic other flu-like symptoms. But it is advised not to waste time and to go for an NS1 antigen test if fever and associated symptoms continue for over one week.

A dengue NS1 antigen test is a medical procedure that diagnoses the virus in the serum by recognizing the non-structural antigen 1 (NS1), a classical antigen possessed by the virus. It is the standard test for dengue virus detection.

What Is The Right Time For This Test?

The symptoms that indicate a chance of dengue include pain in the abdomen, behind the eyes, chills, fevers, headache, fatigue, tiredness, and many more. NS1 antigen of the dengue virus is diagnosable in the serum from the moment of infection.

Hence, it is advised to get the test done as soon as you are exposed to any signs and symptoms. For reference, a dengue NS1 antigen test is best practice within 0-7 days of infection. It is safe to say that only an NS1 antigen test is not enough to diagnose dengue. This test can confirm the infection but cannot determine the serotype. You have to go for a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test to ascertain it.

Interpretation Of The Results

Being specific to an antigen to the disease, NS1 is the most accurate antigen to test for if you need to rule out active infection within the first week of exposure.

1. A positive test will indicate an active infection which will need specific treatment for dengue. A PCR test is a must.
2. A negative result will determine the absence of infection. In that case, a test ruling out IgG antibodies might be helpful to be on the safe side.

This test is reasonably available in almost every tertiary health care center in India. On top of that, another point that justifies the effectiveness of this test is that, whereas other antibodies are often interconnected with other diseases, NS1 is specific to just dengue.

Conclusion

Ensure that whenever you witness any severe symptoms of dengue, you consult a medical specialist immediately. It is important to consult a doctor when the symptoms get severe to avoid your health worsening. Don't waste a minute booking your dengue NS1 antigen test once prescribed by the doctor.