Complete Range of Dengue Virus Proteins for Diagnostic Testing Launched

Aalto Bio Reagents have announced the availability of a new complete range of Dengue virus proteins from serotypes 1-4 for diagnostic test manufacturers, vaccine developers and researchers globally. Dengue virus is a mosquito-borne flavivirus closely related to Zika virus and West Nile virus. The Dengue virus was first isolated by Ren Kimura and Susuma Hotta while studying blood samples of patients taken during the 1943 Dengue epidemic in Nagasaki, Japan. It is transmitted to humans primarily via the Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopicto female mosquitoes which acquire the virus while feeding on the blood of an infected person.

While there are numerous diagnostic tests on the market at present for Dengue virus, there are few flavivirus panel assays and no specific Dengue virus therapeutics available. The massive upsurge in Zika virus serology and molecular testing is making it increasingly more important to screen for other arboviruses with similar clinical presentations to Zika Virus, including Dengue virus and Chikungunya virus. Aalto Bio is leading the field in the development of these target recombinant proteins and monoclonal antibodies. The addition of these new Dengue virus proteins offers development teams and researchers globally access to vital, new raw material to test samples in the race to diagnose patients earlier and help with vaccine development.

Philip Noone, CEO of Aalto bio Reagents said: “With the CDC announcement last week that Zika virus is a cause of microcephaly and other severe foetal brain defects, it is clear that this virus outbreak is a major global concern. In light of this, the need for access to the most scientifically proven raw materials in outbreak situations like this, where fast and accurate diagnosis is required, is becoming more apparent than ever. At Aalto Bio Reagents, we are continuously expanding our tropical virus product portfolio to meet this need. This is cemented by the development of our Dengue virus antigens alongside our Zika virus and Chikungunya virus antigens. We are proud to enable our clients to bring superior, best-in-class diagnostic products to market faster, and aid in the development of vaccines.”