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BMC Infectious Diseases
Published in: BMC Infectious Diseases 1/2010

Open Access 01-12-2010 | Technical advance

Rapid semi-automated quantitative multiplex tandem PCR (MT-PCR) assays for the differential diagnosis of influenza-like illness

Authors: Elektra Szewczuk, Kiran Thapa, Terry Anninos, Kenneth McPhie, Geoff Higgins, Dominic E Dwyer, Keith K Stanley, Jonathan R Iredell

Published in: BMC Infectious Diseases | Issue 1/2010

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Abstract

Background

Influenza A, including avian influenza, is a major public health threat in developed and developing countries. Rapid and accurate detection is a key component of strategies to contain spread of infection, and the efficient diagnosis of influenza-like-illness is essential to protect health infrastructure in the event of a major influenza outbreak.

Methods

We developed a multiplexed PCR (MT-PCR) assay for the simultaneous diagnosis of respiratory viruses causing influenza-like illness, including the specific recognition of influenza A haemagglutinin subtypes H1, H3, and H5. We tested several hundred clinical specimens in two diagnostic reference laboratories and compared the results with standard techniques.

Results

The sensitivity and specificity of these assays was higher than individual assays based on direct antigen detection and standard PCR against a range of control templates and in several hundred clinical specimens. The MT-PCR assays provided differential diagnoses as well as potentially useful quantitation of virus in clinical samples.

Conclusions

MT-PCR is a potentially powerful tool for the differential diagnosis of influenza-like illness in the clinical diagnostic laboratory.
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Metadata
Title
Rapid semi-automated quantitative multiplex tandem PCR (MT-PCR) assays for the differential diagnosis of influenza-like illness
Authors
Elektra Szewczuk
Kiran Thapa
Terry Anninos
Kenneth McPhie
Geoff Higgins
Dominic E Dwyer
Keith K Stanley
Jonathan R Iredell
Publication date
01-12-2010
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Infectious Diseases / Issue 1/2010
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2334
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2334-10-113

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