The rapid spread of viral infections
demands early detection strategies
to minimize proliferation of the disease. Here, we demonstrate a plasmonic
biosensor to detect Dengue virus, which was chosen as a model, via
its nonstructural protein NS1 biomarker. The sensor is functionalized
with a synthetic single-stranded DNA oligonucleotide and provides
high affinity toward NS1 protein present in the virus genome. We demonstrate
the detection of NS1 protein at a concentration of 0.1–10 μg/mL
in bovine blood using an on-chip microfluidic plasma separator integrated
with the plasmonic sensor which covers the clinical threshold of 0.6
μg/mL of high risk of developing Dengue hemorrhagic fever. The
conceptual and practical demonstration shows the translation feasibility
of these microfluidic optical biosensors for early detection of a
wide range of viral infections, providing a rapid clinical diagnosis
of infectious diseases directly from minimally processed biological
samples at point of care locations.