A target product profile and roadmap for Japanese encephalitis diagnostics in endemic areas in the context of other flaviviruses

@article{bharucha2026target,
  title = {{A target product profile and roadmap for Japanese encephalitis diagnostics in endemic areas in the context of other flaviviruses}},
  author = {Tehmina Bharucha and Laura Stokes and Dorcas Anane-Amponsah and Asha Mary Abraham and Prasert Auewarakul and Balkrishna Awal and Ashwin Y. Belludi and Vijay Bondre and Tina Damodar and Xavier de Lamballerie and Rahul Dhodapkar and Audrey Dubot-Pérès and Veasna Duong and Ava Easton and Roger Evans and Varja Grabovac and Nivedita Gupta and Nguyen Hoang Thien Huong and Siraj Ahmed Khan and Uddhava V. Kinhal and Kaveri Krishnasamy and Chang-Kweng Lim and Lonika Lodha and Gathsaurie Neelika Malavige and Shoba Mammen and Mayfong Mayxay and Angel Miraclin T. and Labanya Mukhopadhyay and Mick Mulders and Ashok Munivenkatappa and Adrian Keith Noronha and Mong How Ooi and Ashley Otter and Paul Pasco and Sakib Akther Pattassery and Shruti Radera and Vykuntaraju K. Gowda and Vijayalakshmi Reddy and Priscilla Rupali and Kavitha Saravu and Lucky Sangal and Sanyalack Saysanasongkham and Sadia Shakoor and Krishna Srinavasan and Sharmin Sultana and Aswini M. A. and Bhagteshwar Singh and Tom Solomon and Ava Kristy S. Y. and Le Van Tan and Kevin K. A. Tetteh and Trieu Huynh Trung and Lance Turtle and Ravi Vasanthapuram and Manjunatha M. Venkataswamy and Nguyen Thanh Vu and Robert J. Wilkinson and Sangay Zangmo and Reeta Mani and Sabine Dittrich},
  journal = {PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases},
  year = {2026},
  month = sep,
  doi = {10.1371/journal.pntd.0014683},
  url = {https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0014683},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}

TY  - JOUR
TI  - A target product profile and roadmap for Japanese encephalitis diagnostics in endemic areas in the context of other flaviviruses
AU  - Tehmina Bharucha
AU  - Laura Stokes
AU  - Dorcas Anane-Amponsah
AU  - Asha Mary Abraham
AU  - Prasert Auewarakul
AU  - Balkrishna Awal
AU  - Ashwin Y. Belludi
AU  - Vijay Bondre
AU  - Tina Damodar
AU  - Xavier de Lamballerie
AU  - Rahul Dhodapkar
AU  - Audrey Dubot-Pérès
AU  - Veasna Duong
AU  - Ava Easton
AU  - Roger Evans
AU  - Varja Grabovac
AU  - Nivedita Gupta
AU  - Nguyen Hoang Thien Huong
AU  - Siraj Ahmed Khan
AU  - Uddhava V. Kinhal
AU  - Kaveri Krishnasamy
AU  - Chang-Kweng Lim
AU  - Lonika Lodha
AU  - Gathsaurie Neelika Malavige
AU  - Shoba Mammen
AU  - Mayfong Mayxay
AU  - Angel Miraclin T.
AU  - Labanya Mukhopadhyay
AU  - Mick Mulders
AU  - Ashok Munivenkatappa
AU  - Adrian Keith Noronha
AU  - Mong How Ooi
AU  - Ashley Otter
AU  - Paul Pasco
AU  - Sakib Akther Pattassery
AU  - Shruti Radera
AU  - Vykuntaraju K. Gowda
AU  - Vijayalakshmi Reddy
AU  - Priscilla Rupali
AU  - Kavitha Saravu
AU  - Lucky Sangal
AU  - Sanyalack Saysanasongkham
AU  - Sadia Shakoor
AU  - Krishna Srinavasan
AU  - Sharmin Sultana
AU  - Aswini M. A.
AU  - Bhagteshwar Singh
AU  - Tom Solomon
AU  - Ava Kristy S. Y.
AU  - Le Van Tan
AU  - Kevin K. A. Tetteh
AU  - Trieu Huynh Trung
AU  - Lance Turtle
AU  - Ravi Vasanthapuram
AU  - Manjunatha M. Venkataswamy
AU  - Nguyen Thanh Vu
AU  - Robert J. Wilkinson
AU  - Sangay Zangmo
AU  - Reeta Mani
AU  - Sabine Dittrich
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/08
JO  - PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
DO  - 10.1371/journal.pntd.0014683
UR  - https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0014683
AB  - Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus (JEV) is a leading cause of neurological infection in the Asia-Pacific region with devastating socioeconomic consequences. We aimed to develop a target product profile (TPP) for JE diagnostics in endemic areas in the context of other flaviviruses, to better define improvements needed for patient management and public health. Thematic experts were identified from a scoping review, World Health Organization and Encephalitis International databases, as well as author networks. Initial interviews were performed with selected experts to inform a draft TPP document and start a Delphi process, aiming for consensus of ≥75% on each characteristic. A one-day meeting facilitated in-depth discussion, with breakout groups and electronic voting to develop the final TPP document. In total, 460 participants were invited. Five interviews enabled drafting a TPP. Two iterative surveys were completed by 44 respondents, including clinicians, scientists, and public health experts from 15 countries. A hybrid meeting was attended by 42 participants. Seven priority characteristics were discussed, and consensus was achieved for six; no clear consensus was reached for the preferred test sensitivity and specificity, with 73% agreement. Discussion points and areas of expert consensus were consolidated into a roadmap for development and implementation to guide future work. A diverse group of health professionals agreed that improved diagnostics for JE are needed, and that a priority is a test for patient management that detects JE alongside other relevant flavivirus infections. There was a mandate for a rapid diagnostic test (RDT), and it was suggested that this could be implemented in a two-tiered diagnostic algorithm. The final TPP is presented in the paper; this aims to help define the updates needed to better support patient management and public health interventions, to provide a strategic reference document to drive innovation and improve clarity for JE diagnostic test developers. Author summary: Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is a mosquito-transmitted virus that can infect the brain with devastating consequences. JEV occurs in 25 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, and represents a leading cause of neurological infection in these areas. A major limiting step in making progress to control the disease is the poor accuracy of existing diagnostic methods, and the lack of a rapid diagnostic test (pregnancy/ COVID-style rapid dipstick method) that could be performed in rural areas without laboratory capacity where JEV exists. We sought to draw on experts to systematically define the requirements ‘target product profile’ of future JEV diagnostic tests. We invited 460 participants from different disciplines and countries, started with online interviews of five participants, drafted a TPP, refined it with two rounds of online surveys and then a hybrid meeting. The final TPP is presented in the paper; this aims to help define the updates needed to better support patient management and public health interventions, to provide a strategic reference document to drive innovation and improve clarity for JE diagnostic test developers.
SN  - 1935-2735
ER  -