Point-of-care detection of Japanese encephalitis virus biomarker in clinical samples using a portable smartphone-enabled electrochemical "Sensit" device.

Japanese encephalitis (JE), a neglected tropical zoonotic disease prevalent in south-east Asian and western pacific countries, caused by the flavivirus JE virus (JEV), has a dearth of electrochemical point-of-care (PoC) diagnostic tools available to manage endemic breakouts. To overcome this, we have developed a screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) immunosensor for rapid PoC detection of JEV nonstructural 1 (NS1) antigen (Ag), found circulating in serum of infected individuals using a smartphone based portable "Sensit" device. The modification of SPCE surface with JEV NS1 antibody (Ab) was confirmed via observation of globular protein structures via scanning electron microscopy (SEM), increase in electrode surface hydrophilicity via contact angle measurement and decrease in current via differential pulse voltammetry (DPV).