Zeitschrift für Infektionskrankheiten und Therapie

Abstrakt

Detection of Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) in urine of infected mice: a Potential Non-invasive Diagnostic Tool for CHIKV

Jones PH and Okeoma CM

Background: The reemergence of Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) infection and the spread of the virus throughout the world call for a fast, reliable, and improved laboratory diagnostic procedures. The aim of this study was to determine if CHIKV genome is present in other body fluids besides plasma as a tool for developing non-invasive diagnostic method.
Methods: This study utilized a sensitive and less invasive assay that combines the specificity of immunocomplexing and the sensitivity of real-time PCR to detect CHIKV in urine and plasma of infected mice.
Results: CHIKV RNA was detected by immuno-capture-quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (IC-qPCR) in urine and plasma of infected mice. Viral RNA was detected in urine up to day 30, long after viral clearance in plasma. Furthermore, infectious CHIKV was detected in urine by cell-based immunofluorescence and 50% tissue culture infective dose (TCID50) assays, suggesting the presence of infectious virus in urine.
Conclusion: We demonstrate a potential non-invasive diagnostic approach that could be adapted to screen forCHIKV infection in viremic and aviremic patients using urine.