Genetics and Genome Biology Program, Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, Canada.
Mol Cell Probes. 2010 Dec;24(6):364-9. doi: 10.1016/j.mcp.2010.08.001. Epub 2010 Aug 18.
Worldwide efforts are ongoing to improve influenza pandemic preparedness, including from the perspective of the clinical virology laboratory. In particular, much work has been devoted to the development of diagnostic assays targeted at the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1); much less efforts have been devoted to the A(H2) subtype. Yet, A(H2) subtype has a proven capacity to cause pandemics and is among the subtypes prioritized for surveillance and control. Although the human A(H2N2) virus that caused the pandemic of 1957 no longer circulates, many related avian A(H2) viruses circulate in avian population and could conceivably adapt to infect humans and cause a new pandemic. In this study the design and development of an RT-PCR assay specific for A(H2) subtype is presented. It is shown that the assay is highly sensitive and specific, able to detect human and avian A(H2) viruses, and can be incorporated into a multiplex assay with another previously described assay for HPAI A(H5N1).
全球范围内正在努力提高流感大流行的防范能力，包括从临床病毒学实验室的角度。特别是，已经投入了大量工作来开发针对高致病性禽流感（HPAI）A（H5N1）的诊断检测方法；而针对 A（H2）亚型的工作则相对较少。然而，A（H2）亚型已经被证明有能力引发大流行，并且是优先监测和控制的亚型之一。虽然导致 1957 年大流行的人类 A（H2N2）病毒不再流行，但许多相关的禽 A（H2）病毒仍在禽类中流行，并且有可能适应感染人类并引发新的大流行。在这项研究中，介绍了一种针对 A（H2）亚型的 RT-PCR 检测方法的设计和开发。结果表明，该检测方法具有高度的敏感性和特异性，能够检测到人类和禽 A（H2）病毒，并且可以与另一种先前描述的针对 HPAI A（H5N1）的检测方法相结合，形成多重检测方法。
