Nipah virus molecular detection from whole blood and respiratory swabs in a rapid field-ready protocol

Authors

• Phuong Vi Nguyen, Emory University and Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, USA
• Jayden Kimbro, Emory University and Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, USA
• Kumail Ahmed, Aga Khan UniversityFollow
• Najeeha Talat Iqbal, Aga Khan UniversityFollow
• Dhruv Miglani, Emory University and Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, USA
• Sarah Hernandez, Emory University, USA.
• David R. Myers, Emory University, Atlanta, USA
• Jesse J. Waggoner, Emory University, Atlanta, USA

Document Type

Article

Department

Biological and Biomedical Sciences

Abstract

Background: Nipah virus (NiV) is a highly pathogenic, zoonotic paramyxovirus with significant public health implications due to high associated mortality and potential for human-to-human transmission. Current diagnostic testing options for NiV are limited and require extensive laboratory infrastructure.
Objective: Develop a field-deployable testing workflow for timely NiV detection.
Study design: A NiV real-time RT-PCR (rRT-PCR) was designed for a highly conserved region of the nucleocapsid gene and tested with RNA from Bangladesh and Malaysia NiV strains. The NiV rRT-PCR was evaluated on Rotor-Gene Q and Palm PCR S1e thermocyclers following instrument free RNA extraction (Extract & Store).
Results: Initial analytical evaluation, on a Rotor-Gene Q, demonstrated dynamic amplification and a limit of detection (LoD) of 3.7-4.2 copies/µL without amplification of related paramyxoviruses. The assay was adapted for the portable, battery-powered, self-contained Palm PCR S1e thermocycler, and exhibited linear detection with a LoD of 30.7 copies/µL. RNA extraction from contrived whole blood and pharyngeal swabs using the Extract & Store workflow yielded comparable results to automated extraction on a KingFisher Apex instrument. The entire assay, including extracted and stabilized RNA controls from BSL-1 strains, was successfully transferred to Aga Khan University with ambient temperature shipping and yielded similar performance.
Conclusions: The combination of Extract & Store and the Palm PCR S1e device offers a viable solution for field-based molecular detection of NiV. While limitations were noted for reaction setup on the Palm PCR, this presents a flexible and accessible workflow for rapid, portable detection of high-consequence pathogens in resource-constrained settings.

Comments

Issue and pagination are not provided by author/publisher.

Publication (Name of Journal)

Journal of Clinical Virology

DOI

10.1016/j.jcv.2026.105931

Recommended Citation

Nguyen, P. V., Kimbro, J., Ahmed, K., Iqbal, N., Miglani, D., Hernandez, S., Myers, D. R., Waggoner, J. J. (2026). Nipah virus molecular detection from whole blood and respiratory swabs in a rapid field-ready protocol. Journal of Clinical Virology, 184.
Available at: https://ecommons.aku.edu/pakistan_fhs_mc_bbs/1109