Validation of a polymerase chain reaction-oligochromatography test for detection of influenza A (H1N1) 2009 virus

The outbreak of pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009 virus caused the first influenza pandemic disease of the 21st century. In August 2010, the pandemic moved into the post-pandemic period. However, localized outbreaks of various magnitudes continued with a higher rate of disease severity. The aim of this study was to assess a new polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-oligochromatographic assay (Speed-Oligo) in the diagnosis of novel influenza A (H1N1) 2009. A total of 405 nasopharyngeal aspirate specimens from 400 pediatric and adults patients with suspected infection of pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009 were analyzed. The sensitivity and specificity values of the Speed-Oligo assay in comparison to reverse transcriptase-PCR assay developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were 86.5% and 92.2%, respectively. The new assay is simple, rapid, and provides a good sensitivity for detection of influenza A (H1N1) 2009. This assay might be a good alternative to real-time PCR assays for laboratories not equipped with real-time PCR instruments.