Evaluation of a new rapid diagnostic test for the detection of influenza and RSV

Comparison of the Panther Fusion and Allplex assays for the detection of respiratory viruses in clinical samples

Respiratory viral infections are the most frequent clinical syndrome affecting both children and adults, and early detection is fundamental to avoid infection-related risks and reduce the healthcare costs incurred by unnecessary antibiotic treatments. In this study, performance characteristics of two commercial methods, the Panther Fusion® assay (Hologic Inc., San Diego, CA, USA) were compared to Allplex™ respiratory panels (Seegene, Seoul, South Korea) for the detection of influenza A (Flu A), influenza B (Flu B), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), parainfluenza virus (PIV), human metapneumovirus (hMPV), rhinovirus (RV) and adenovirus (AdV) targets. A total of 865 specimens collected prospectively and retrospectively were included, and discordant results were further examined using another commercial product, R-GENE™ respiratory kits (bioMérieux, Marcy l'Etoile, France). There was high agreement between both methods, with 98.6% concordance and a kappa (k) value of 0.9 (95% CI: 0.89-0.92). A specific analysis of both methods for each viral agent demonstrated comparable sensitivity and specificity, both ranging from 0.83 to 1 with good predictive values for the prospective part of the study. Good agreement between both methods was also found for the κ values obtained (ranging from 97.55% to 98.9%), with the lowest for hMPV (k = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.75-0.91) and RV (k = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.65-0.81). Amplification efficiency, measured according to the value of the cycle threshold (Ct) obtained in each of the amplifications in both tests, was significantly better with Panther Fusion for Flu A, Flu B, hMPV and RV. Regarding discordant results, R-GENE showed higher agreement with Panther Fusion-positive specimens (negative for Allplex; n = 28/71, 34.9%) than with Allplex-positive samples (negative for Panther Fusion; n = 7/49, 14.3%). In summary, Panther Fusion proved to be a more efficient fully-automated methodology, requiring shorter hands-on and turnaround times than Allplex.

Detection Methods of Human and Animal Influenza Virus-Current Trends

The basic affairs connected to the influenza virus were reviewed in the article, highlighting the newest trends in its diagnostic methods. Awareness of the threat of influenza arises from its ability to spread and cause a pandemic. The undiagnosed and untreated viral infection can have a fatal effect on humans. Thus, the early detection seems pivotal for an accurate treatment, when vaccines and other contemporary prevention methods are not faultless. Public health is being attacked with influenza containing new genes from a genetic assortment between animals and humankind. Unfortunately, the population does not have immunity for mutant genes and is attacked in every viral outbreak season. For these reasons, fast and accurate devices are in high demand. As currently used methods like Rapid Influenza Diagnostic Tests lack specificity, time and cost-savings, new methods are being developed. In the article, various novel detection methods, such as electrical and optical were compared. Different viral elements used as detection targets and analysis parameters, such as sensitivity and specificity, were presented and discussed.

Development of a Rapid Fluorescent Immunochromatographic Test to Detect Respiratory Syncytial Virus

Human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is one of the most common viruses infecting the respiratory tracts of infants. The rapid and sensitive detection of RSV is important to minimize the incidence of infection. In this study, novel monoclonal antibodies (mAbs; B11A5 and E8A11) against RSV nucleoprotein (NP) were developed and applied to develop a rapid fluorescent immunochromatographic strip test (FICT), employing europium nanoparticles as the fluorescent material. For the FICT, the limits of detection of the antigen and virus were 1.25 µg/mL and 4.23 × 10⁶ TCID₅₀/mL, respectively, corresponding to 4.75 × 10⁶ ± 5.8 ×10⁵ (mean ± SD) RNA copy numbers per reaction mixture for RSV NP. A clinical study revealed a sensitivity of 90% (18/20) and specificity of 98.18% (108/110) for RSV detection when comparing the performance to that of reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), representing a 15% improvement in sensitivity over the SD Bioline rapid kit. This newly developed FICT could be a useful tool for the rapid diagnosis of RSV infection.

Evaluation of a two-stage testing algorithm for the diagnosis of respiratory viral infections

New on-demand multiplex molecular respiratory viral diagnostics offer superior performance although can be expensive and some platforms cannot process multiple specimens simultaneously. We performed a retrospective study reviewing results of patients tested for respiratory viruses following introduction of a two-stage testing algorithm incorporating an initial screen with Sofia® immunoassay then secondary Biofire Filmarray®, and compared to a period when only Filmarray® was used. Of 2976 testing episodes, 1814 underwent initial Sofia® then follow-up FilmArray®. A diagnosis of influenza was made by Sofia® in 282 patients, and by FilmArray® in an additional 163 (median time to result 1.12 hours versus 3.46 hours, P < 0.001). Significantly more patients received their diagnosis within 90 minutes in winter despite testing more samples (11.1% versus 3.4%, P < 0.001), and approximately $36,000 was saved. An algorithmic approach to respiratory viral diagnosis can combine the advantages of accuracy and speed and be cost saving.