Table 2. Laboratory techniques used for the detection of hantaviruses.
| Methods | Benefits | Shortcomings | Instructions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Serological Techniques | ||||
| ELISAs (IgG, IgM) | Sensitive | Cannot utilized for serotyping | Most frequently used | |
| Cross reactivity enables identification of unknown hantaviruses | ||||
| Inexpensive | ||||
| Can be utilized throughout the duration of clinical course | ||||
| ICG | Rapid, sensitive and specific | Cannot utilized for serotyping | Frequently used | |
| Inexpensive | Cost-efficient | |||
| Simple to carry out | ||||
| WB | More sensitive and specific than ELISAs | Costly and time-consuming | Not frequently used | |
| IFA | More specific | Less sensitive and time-consuming | Not frequently used | |
| Neutralization assay | Can be utilized for serotyping | Costly and time-consuming | Not frequently used | |
| Requires BSL-3 | ||||
| Molecular Techniques | ||||
| Real-time RT-PCR | Highly sensitive and specific | Costly than ELISA and time-consuming | Frequently used | |
| Quantitative assay | Could not show viral detection following the viremic phase | Positive earlier than serological assays | ||
| Allow to obtain the sequence of nucleotide | ||||
| NGS | Valuable for genotyping | Costly and complex | Hardly used | |
| Others | ||||
| IHC | Valuable for antigen detection in tissues | Time-consuming | Frequently used for biopsy | |
| Viral culture | Permits virological research | Less sensitive and time-consuming | ||
| Cumbersome and requires BSL-3 | Hardly used | |||
ELISA, enzyme linked immunosorbent assay; ICG, immunocromatography assay; WB, western blot; IFA, immunofluorescence assay; BSL, biosafety level 3 laboratory; RT-PCR, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction; NGS, next generation sequencing; IHC, immunohistochemistry.