Journal article
A comparison of rapid point-of-care tests for the detection of avian influenza A(H7N9) virus, 2013
C Baas, IG Barr, RA Fouchier, A Kelso, AC Hurt
Eurosurveillance | Published : 2013
Abstract
Six antigen detection-based rapid influenza point-of-care tests were compared for their ability to detect avian influenza A(H7N9) virus. The sensitivity of at least four tests, standardised by viral infectivity (TCID50) or RNA copy number, was lower for the influenza A(H7N9) virus than for seasonal A(H3N2), A(H1N1)pdm09 or other recent avian A(H7) viruses. Comparing detection limits of A(H7N9) virus with Ct values of A(H7N9) clinical specimens suggests the tests would not have detected most clinical specimens.
Grants
Awarded by NIAID-NIH
Funding Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to Dr Yuelong Shu and Dr Dayan Wang, WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China, for providing the A/Anhui/1/2013 A(H7N9) virus. We are grateful to Heidi Peck, WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza, Melbourne, for preparing the plasmid used for RNA quantitation. The Melbourne WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza is supported by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing. RF was financed through NIAID-NIH contract HHSN266200700010C.