Ultra-rapid detection of nuclear protein of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus by colloidal gold immunochromatography assay

Abstract

In 2009, severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV), also known as the Dabie bandavirus (DBV), was first discovered in Henan, China. It is a tick-borne zoonotic virus with a fatality rate ranging from 6% to 30%. Currently, we lack safe and effective vaccines or antiviral drugs to treat SFTSV infection. Therefore, the development of a specific, sensitive, and cost-effective detection method is crucial. Using inactivated SFTSV and recombinant SFTSV nucleocapsid protein (SFTSV-NP), we repeatedly immunized mice with different adjuvants and obtained two monoclonal antibodies against SFTSV-NP, which were used to develop a colloidal gold immunochromatographic assay (ICA) rapid test kit for SFTSV. Compared with nucleic acid testing (gold standard), the ICA test strips are 97.67% accurate in testing clinical serum samples (36 cases of clinical serum samples and seven cases of whole blood samples). The test kit was 100% accurate in detecting different SFTSV strains. No false-positive results were generated when detecting other arboviruses. Therefore, our developed SFTSV test kit conveniently, rapidly, and effectively detects SFTSV.

Keywords

• Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus
• Monoclonal antibodies
• Immunochromatography assay
• Colloidal gold