Detection of respiratory viruses and bacteria

Respiratory viral infections are a common and significant medical problem where clinical diagnosis is often difficult due to a variety of overlapping clinical symptoms caused by different respiratory viruses. Rapid and accurate diagnosis can improve patient care and also limit the transmission of an outbreak in a confined environment, such as a neonatal intensive care unit. The tools and techniques utilized for the diagnosis of respiratory virus infections, previously based on indirect antibody based assays, have now being replaced by molecular assays which can provide sensitive and accurate assays for the identification and diagnosis of multiple respiratory viruses and bacteria from one analysis. Many studies have shown that timely diagnosis of respiratory infections reduces hospital stay and needless antibiotic use, with considerable savings in related health costs.

We employ a multiplex PCR reaction for the direct and sensitive detection of 13 viruses: Influenza A, Influenza B, Human respiratory syncytial virus A, Human respiratory syncytial virus B, Human Rhinovirus, Human coronavirus OC43/HKU1, Human coronavirus 229E/NL63, Human adenovirus, Human parainfluenza virus 1, Human parainfluenza virus 2, Human parainfluenza virus 3, Human bocavirus, Human enterovirus, as well as 5 bacteria: Mycoplasma pneumonia, Haemophilus influenza, Streptococcus pneumonia, Chlamydophila pneumonia και Legionella pneunophila.

SAMPLING: Nasopharyngeal aspirates, nasopharyngeal swab, bronchoalveolar lavage

SHIPMENT: Samples should be stored at 4 °C and shipped to the laboratory as soon as possible.