Duplex-PCR assay for the detection of adenovirus and respiratory syncytial virus in nasopharyngeal samples

• Main Authors: Juliana Cristina Marinheiro, Roberta Braga Sanalios, Daniela Carvalho dos Santos, Cristovão Alves da Costa, Charlotte Marianna Hársi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Ministério da Saúde 2009-02-01
• Series: Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz.
• Subjects: human adenovirus; human respiratory syncytial virus; acute respiratory infection; polymerase chain reaction
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0074-02762009000100018
• ISSN: 0074-0276; 1678-8060

Human adenovirus (HAdV) and human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) are important etiologic agents of acute respiratory infections. In this study, a duplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was developed for the simultaneous detection of HAdV and HRSV in clinical samples. Sixty previously screened nasopharyngeal aspirates were used: 20 HAdV-positive, 20 HRSV-positive and 20 double-negative controls. Eight samples were positive for both viruses. The duplex PCR assay proved to be as sensitive and specific as single-target assays and also detected the mixed infections with certainty. The identification of both viruses in a single reaction offers a reduction in both cost and laboratory diagnostic time.