Comparison of the Simplexa™ Flu A/B & RSV kit (nucleic acid extraction-dependent assay) and the Prodessa ProFlu+™ assay for detecting influenza and respiratory syncytial viruses

The relative performance of 2 widely used reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays, the Focus diagnostics Simplexa™ Flu A/B & RSV kit (nucleic acid extraction-dependent assay) and the Prodessa Proflu+™ assay, was evaluated using 735 prospectively and retrospectively collected nasopharyngeal swab specimens. Overall, the assays showed positive and negative agreements of 100% and 99.7% for influenza A, 98.1% and 99.9% for influenza B, and 99.3% and 99.5% for respiratory syncytial virus. The relative analytical sensitivity of the 2 assays was also similar.