Which serological technique serves as the reference standard for measuring type-specific neutralising antibodies against dengue virus?
- A IgM capture ELISA
- B Plaque reduction neutralisation test ✓
- C Haemagglutination inhibition test
- D Non-structural protein 1 (NS1) antigen capture ELISA
Correct answer: B. Plaque reduction neutralisation test
Explanation
The plaque reduction neutralisation test mixes serial dilutions of serum with live virus and inoculates cell cultures; the titre reported is the dilution reducing plaque counts by a defined percentage, usually 50 percent. Because neutralising antibody is type specific, PRNT distinguishes infections caused by individual dengue serotypes, which cross-reactive assays such as IgM ELISA and haemagglutination inhibition cannot do reliably. NS1 detection diagnoses current infection but says nothing about neutralising capacity, eliminating all three distractors.
Reference: Ananthanarayan and Paniker's Textbook of Microbiology, 11th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
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