Candida Albicans Antigen Test | CAG 501

INTENDED USE:

Atlas Link One Step Zika IgG/IgM Antibody Test is a rapid, qualitative and convenient immunochromatographic in vitro assay for the deferential detection of IgG & IgM antibodies to Zika virus in human serum, plasma and/or whole blood samples. This assay only provides a preliminary result. Clinical expertise and professional judgment should be sought to further evaluate the result of the test.

SUMMARY AND EXPLANATION:

Zika virus, first isolated in Uganda from a sentinel monkey in 1947, is an emerging arthropod borne virus (arbovirus) transmitted by Aedes (Stegomyia) mosquitoes. The virus belongs to the genus Flavivirus, family Flaviviridae, and is related to the dengue virus, which has similar epidemiology and transmission cycle in urban environments. In the past, only sporadic human Zika virus infections were reported. Serologic studies and virus isolations have demonstrated that the virus has a wide geographic distribution, including eastern and western Africa, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and most recently, South America. Symptoms include arthralgia, oedema of extremities, mild fever, maculopapular rashes frequently pruritic, headaches, retro-orbital pain, non-purulent conjunctivitis, vertigo, myalgia and digestive disorders. Clinical symptoms of Zika disease appear after an incubation period ranging between three to twelve days. The symptoms are usually mild and short lasting – ranging from two to seven days. The infection may go unrecognized or be misdiagnosed as dengue. Diagnosis of Zika virus infection includes PCR tests to detect viral DNA as well as additional tests to detect Zika Virus antibody (IgM) in serum. IgM for Zika Virus is typically detectable around three to five days after infection, but cross-reactivity with closely related dengue, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis, and West Nile viruses is possible. However, these cross-reactive results have been noted to be more common in patients that denoted signs of previous flavivirus infections than patients with primary Zika Virus infection. For more efficient diagnosis, serum samples should be analyzed as early as possible, with a second test two to three weeks after that. Different profiles of humoral immune responses in primary and secondary Zika viral infections can be used for differential diagnosis. The presence of high titers of IgG antibodies does not interfere with the detection of IgM antibodies in the sample.