A RAPID, SEMI-AUTOMATED METHOD TO DETECT RESPIRATORY VIRUS INFECTED CELLS IN NASOPHARYNGEAL SAMPLES USING DIRECT FLUORESCENT ANTIBODY

摘要

Tests for rapid viral detection which rely on antigen detection vary considerably in their sensitivity and the turn-around-time (TAT) for a result. Point of care (POC) tests have a 15- 20 min TAT and are easy to use. POC tests find utility in physician's offices, microbiology labs and in virology labs during the second and third shift. However, the sensitivity of these tests is widely reported to be low 1,2, particularly out of season. Direct specimen testing using Cytospin3,4 or smear preparations has been reported to be more sensitive but requires 60-90 min, is tedious to perform, currently lacks standardization, leads to relatively large numbers of specimens with insufficient number of cells to conduct the test (QNS>20%), and requires a medium complex lab with skilled technologists performing and interpreting the fluorescent staining results. The present invention describes a method which combines the TAT of the POC tests with the higher sensitivity and ability to assess the specimen quality available with direct specimen testing.