Quick answer
The Dengue Serology Test (IgG & IgM) costs ₹1,400 at Live Line Health Care. Looks for IgM and IgG antibodies to the dengue virus, which helps show a recent or past infection. No fasting is needed. It uses a blood sample and the report is usually ready within 24 hours.
Also known as: Dengue IgG IgM, Dengue IgM, Dengue IgG, Dengue Antibody, Dengue Serology, Dengue Fever Antibody
What is the Dengue Serology Test?
The Dengue Serology test looks for two antibodies your immune system makes against the dengue virus. IgM is the early responder and usually becomes detectable around day 5 of the illness. IgG comes later after a first infection and can stay in the blood for years. Read together, the two help your doctor judge whether a fever is likely to be a recent dengue infection, a repeat infection, or just a trace of one you had in the past.
Timing decides how useful this test is. Antibodies need several days to build up, so a sample taken on day 1 or 2 of fever can come back negative even when dengue is present. That is why doctors often choose the Dengue NS1 Antigen test in the first days of fever and this antibody test from about day 5 onwards. In a second dengue infection, IgG can rise within a couple of days while IgM stays low, so the pattern matters more than any single line on the report.
What it measures: Dengue-specific IgM antibody, a marker of recent infection, and dengue-specific IgG antibody, a marker of past or repeat infection.
Parameters included (2)
- Dengue IgM Antibody
- Dengue IgG Antibody
Why is this test done?
- Fever lasting about 5 days or more, when dengue is suspected
- A negative early NS1 result when symptoms still point to dengue
- Working out whether a recent illness with low platelets was dengue
- Telling a first infection from a repeat infection, which can carry a higher risk of severe disease
- Fever during the monsoon or after travel to an area where dengue is spreading
When should you get tested?
- High fever with severe headache and pain behind the eyes
- Muscle and joint pain, the reason dengue is called break-bone fever
- Skin rash or flushing a few days into the illness
- Nausea, vomiting or loss of appetite
- Low platelets or low white cells on a recent CBC
How to prepare for the Dengue Serology Test
- 1You do not need to fast, and fluids should be kept up during any fever.
- 2Note the exact day your fever began, because the result is read against the day of illness.
- 3Tell the staff if you have had dengue before, or a yellow fever or Japanese encephalitis vaccine, as these can affect antibody results.
- 4Bring any earlier CBC, platelet or NS1 reports so your doctor can compare them.
Dengue Serology Test normal range
| Parameter | Typical reference range |
|---|---|
| Expected result | IgM non-reactive and IgG non-reactive |
| IgM reactive, IgG non-reactive | Suggests a recent first dengue infection |
| IgM reactive, IgG reactive | Suggests a recent infection, often a repeat infection |
| IgM non-reactive, IgG reactive | Suggests past dengue, or sometimes a repeat infection |
Reports show Reactive or Non-reactive, or a numeric index with the cut-off printed beside it. The wording on your own report takes precedence, and a negative result in the first few days of fever does not rule out dengue. Ranges are typical adult values and vary between labs, age and sex. Always use the range printed on your report and discuss results with your doctor.
Understanding your results
- A non-reactive IgM before about day 5 may simply be too early. Your doctor may ask for NS1 instead, or for a repeat sample a few days later.
- IgG on its own cannot show whether today’s fever is dengue, since it can remain positive for years after an old infection.
- Antibodies can cross-react with related viruses such as Japanese encephalitis and Zika, and occasionally with other infections, so results are always read alongside symptoms.
- Antibody results do not show how severe the illness is. Your doctor relies on platelets and packed cell volume on a CBC, along with how you are feeling.
- Go to a hospital at once, without waiting for any report, for severe belly pain, repeated vomiting, bleeding from the nose or gums, blood in vomit, black stools, fast or difficult breathing, cold clammy skin, unusual drowsiness or restlessness, or passing very little urine.
Health packages that include this test
The Dengue Serology Test is included in these full body checkups:
Book the Dengue Serology Test in your city
Same price at all 45 centres. Choose your city for local centres and timings.
Telangana
Dengue Serology Test – FAQs
What is the price of the Dengue Serology Test?
The Dengue Serology Test (IgG & IgM) costs ₹1,400 at Live Line Health Care, at all 45 centres and for home sample collection.
When should I get the dengue IgG and IgM test?
From about day 5 of illness, when IgM has usually appeared. If your fever began only a day or two ago, the NS1 antigen test is normally more useful. Your doctor may order both tests together when the day of illness is uncertain.
What does dengue IgG positive and IgM negative mean?
It usually points to a dengue infection at some time in the past, not necessarily this fever. A strongly raised IgG with symptoms can sometimes mean a repeat infection, where IgM stays low. Your doctor may compare it with NS1, platelets or a second sample.
What is the difference between dengue serology and the NS1 test?
NS1 detects a protein from the virus itself, so it works early in the fever. Serology detects your body’s antibodies, which take days to form, so it works later and can also show past infection. The two tests answer different questions.
How long does dengue IgM stay positive?
IgM generally stays detectable for about two to three months after infection, and then fades. A positive IgM can therefore reflect an illness from some weeks ago. IgG lasts far longer, often for years, which is why old infections still show on this test.
Can I have dengue if my antibody test is negative?
Yes, particularly when the sample was taken in the first few days of fever, before antibodies have formed. If dengue is still suspected, your doctor may advise an NS1 test or a repeat antibody test a few days later, and will keep watching your platelets.
What are the danger signs of dengue that need hospital care?
Severe belly pain, repeated vomiting, bleeding gums or nose, blood in vomit or black stools, fast breathing, cold clammy skin, drowsiness, restlessness or very little urine. These often appear as the fever falls. Go to hospital immediately and do not wait for test results.
Where can I get the Dengue Serology Test done?
At any of our 45 Live Line Health Care centres in 40 cities across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, including Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Warangal, Kakinada and Nellore, or book home sample collection.
Medical disclaimer: This information is for general awareness only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a qualified doctor to interpret your results and before starting or changing any treatment.