Medical viruses: diagnostic techniques

Abstract

The recent epidemics and pandemics caused by different viruses such as SARS-CoV-2, monkey pox, H1N1, ebola virus etc. have been a cause of mass destruction in the human race, the biggest decline slope in the global economy and mental trauma. A number of viruses have been discovered that may cause serious problems and to overcome this problem, early diagnosis of the viruses and understanding their infection pattern is a must. Early detection of viruses inside the host provides timely management in a strategic manner. Scientists have developed some effective and efficient methods to detect the viruses. In this review, we have explained a few types of diagnostic techniques: Biosensor based, immunological-based, and molecular-based diagnostic techniques that are prominent methodologies to identify and detect the course of infection related to the medical viruses. In biosensor-based diagnostic technique, an analytical device consisting of biological elements and physicochemical component gives a signal upon detection of viral antigen. In immunological-based diagnostic techniques, enzyme-linked antibodies are utilized to find the particular antiviral antibody or viral antigen in human specimens, and nucleic acid-based diagnostic techniques are based on the principle of amplification of the viral genome.

Fig. 1

Diagrammatic presentation of Biosensor. The analyte which could be anything right from enzymes, antibodies, nucleic acids, or even whole cells, when binds with the biocomponent, gets detected by the transducer on the basis of an optical, mass-based, electrochemical mechanism and sends a signal that could be further analyzed to diagnose the presence of a viral particle in the body

Fig. 2

a Direct ELISA, b Indirect ELISA, c Sandwich ELISA

Fig. 3

Step wise representation of western blotting technique. It starts with the isolation of virus then with the help of lysis buffer protein of interest has been separated then run SDS-page after that the separated protein transferred into PVDF membrane then the antibody probing has been done and results has been collected by chemi-imaging

Fig. 4

diagrammatic representation of quencher and TaqDNA polymerase in Real-time PCR

Fig. 5

Schematic view of principle of NASBA