Influenza type A  NOTE: THIS TEST IS NOT PERFORMED ON SAMPLES TAKEN FROM BIRDS OWNED OR LOCATED IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.

Test code: S0077 - Ultrasensitive qualitative detection of influenza A virus by reverse transcription coupled real time polymerase chain reaction. This assay detects but does not differentiate most known strains of influenza A viruses, including H1N1, H2N2, H3N2, H3N8, H4N6, H5N1, H5N2, H7N2, H7N7, H8N4 and H9N2.

Influenza is a severe acute upper respiratory infection, and typical symptoms include pyrexia, dyspnea, anorexia and coughing. Several different subtypes and strains of influenza viruses infect birds, humans, nonhuman primates and other mammals. Among these different strains, the avian influenza viruses have been a major concern. The natural reservoir for these viruses is wild birds, and birds are only susceptible to influenza A viruses.

There are three prominent subtypes of avian influenza A virus. They are classified by the hemagglutinin proteins on their surfaces: H5, H7, and H9. These viruses can be further divided in “low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI)” and “high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI)” forms, depending on the severity of disease they cause in birds.

Due to the airborne nature of the disease, infection of one animal can quickly spread to other animals and humans. Rapid and affordable testing of suspected influenza cases is thus essential to control the spreading of the disease. If the result of the rapid immunoassay is negative but the animal exhibits symptoms of respiratory infection, Zoologix also offers reflex PCR testing of the same sample with much higher sensitivity, and for a broader range of respiratory pathogens. This testing strategy eliminates the delay and cost involved in redrawing and shipping repeat samples.

Utilities:

• Help confirm the disease causing agent
• Shorten the time required to confirm a clinical diagnosis of influenza
• Help ensure that primate colonies are free of influenza
• Early prevention of spread of this virus
• Minimize personnel exposure to this virus

Specimen requirements:

Preferred sample - nasopharyngeal swab.

Less preferred sample - 0.2 ml whole blood in EDTA (purple top) tube.

Contact Zoologix if advice is needed to determine an appropriate specimen type for a specific diagnostic application. For specimen types not listed here, please contact Zoologix to confirm specimen acceptability and shipping instructions. For all specimen types, if there will be a delay in shipping, or during very warm weather, refrigerate specimens until shipped and ship with a cold pack unless more stringent shipping requirements are specified. Frozen specimens should be shipped so as to remain frozen in transit. See shipping instructions for more information.

Turnaround time: 2 business days

Methodology: Qualitative reverse transcription coupled real time PCR

Normal range: Nondetected