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Dengue Antigen - 000651

The dengue antigen test also called the dengue NS1 antigen test, is done to detect the present of infection by the dengue virus. An antigen is protein which is present on the surface of the virus, and this test will help confirm the presence of an infection by detecting this protein.

Infection by the dengue virus leads to what is known as dengue fever, which is a condition when treated appropriately does not threaten the life of the infected individual. Early detection and treatment play a key role, and this is where the dengue antigen tests is useful. Because it helps detect the protein on the surface of the virus present in the blood 24 hours after infection and remains positive for about a week.

If you complain of fever and you are from a region where dengue fever is prevalent, then you will be asked to undergo this test in order to rule out the possibility of dengue infection. If you complain of symptoms such as retro-orbital pain, abdominal pain, photophobia, nausea and vomiting, which all point towards a dengue infection this test might be done.

There are no special preparations that you have to make before you undergo this test.

During this, a Medical Lab Technician will draw out a small volume of blood, using a needle and syringe which is inserted into a vein in your arm. This blood sample is then sent to the lab for analysis.

Since this test is a simple drawing of blood, you will not feel a lot of discomfort. You might experience a mild pain on inserting the needle, but you will not experience any uneasiness afterwards.

There is very little risk in undergoing a dengue antigen test, because it is a simple blood drawing. Very rarely you might continue to have a mild pain or some swelling at the site where the needle was inserted, but these symptoms will resolve on their own within a couple of days.

Your test will show either a positive or negative result. If it’s negative it means that you don’t have a dengue infection. If the result is positive, it means you have an ongoing dengue infection. Your doctor will order more investigations to evaluate your overall health, and this infection requires continuous monitoring until it settles.

There are no specific factors which alter the results of this investigation.