Colorimetric detection of hepatitis E virus based on reverse transcription loop mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) assay

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection is a common communicable disease in the third world countries. The early diagnosis of HEV is important for the prognosis and prevention of the spread of the disease. Conventional methods for HEV detection need expensive equipment and cannot meet the needs of point of care (POC) use. In the present study, a gold nanoparticle (AuNP) based RT-LAMP assay was developed for colorimetric detection of HEV. As low as 101 copies of HEV RNA were detected visually. With reduced handling and less equipment requirement, this assay provided a simple and rapid alternative to other available methods.