Portable Test for Detection of Pathogens in Arthropod Vectors

VecTOR Test Systems, Inc., proposes to produce the Dengue antigen assay, the Japanese Encephalitis (JE) antigen assay, the Ross River Virus antigen assay and the Rift Valley Virus antigen assay. Phase I results have demonstrated that detection of the above pathogens is possible in rapid, one-step immuno-chromatographic tests for identification of Dengue serotype-1, -2, -3 and -4 viruses in a single assay and Japanese Encephalitis in vectoring mosquitoes. Evaluation of prototypes and format for Ross River Virus and Rift Valley Fever virus is in progress. Successful application of available ELISA antibody reagents for the above into dipstick rapid assay product formats is achievable. The technology is based on the simple and reliable wicking immuno-chromatographic detection method by which sensitive test-strip based assays provide results in less than 30 minutes. The proposed dipstick assays will be stable at ambient storage conditions. During Phase II, a sufficient number of tests will be produced for laboratory and field evaluations. The proposed VecTOR Antigen assays will complement the commercially available VecTestTM (VecTest is a trademark of Medical Analysis Sytems, Inc) assays for detection of Malaria (Plasmodium falciparum and vivax CS assays), Encephalitis (SLE, WEE, EEE) and West Nile virus antigen assays in vectoring mosquitoes.