Detecting 2009 Pandemic Influenza A (H1N1) Virus Infection: Availability of Diagnostic Testing Led to Rapid Pandemic Response

Abstract

Diagnostic tests for detecting emerging influenza virus strains with pandemic potential are critical for directing global influenza prevention and control activities. In 2008, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention received US Food and Drug Administration approval for a highly sensitive influenza polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. Devices were deployed to public health laboratories in the United States and globally. Within 2 weeks of the first recognition of 2009 pandemic influenza H1N1, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention developed and began distributing a new approved pandemic influenza H1N1 PCR assay, which used the previously deployed device platform to meet a >8-fold increase in specimen submissions. Rapid antigen tests were widely used by clinicians at the point of care; however, test sensitivity was low (40%-69%). Many clinical laboratories developed their own pandemic influenza H1N1 PCR assays to meet clinician demand. Future planning efforts should identify ways to improve availability of reliable testing to manage patient care and approaches for optimal use of molecular testing for detecting and controlling emerging influenza virus strains.

Effect of Climatic Conditions on Epidemic Patterns of Influenza in Okinawa, Japan, during the Pandemic of 2009: Surveillance of Rapid Antigen Test Results

“…However, the present data obtained using RAT results were very similar to the influenza cases reported per sentinel weekly in Okinawa (12). This finding supports the utility of RATs during the influenza pandemic of 2009 (16).…”

The national burden of influenza‐associated severe acute respiratory illness hospitalization in Zambia, 2011‐2014

“…Specimens were tested for influenza A and B viruses using a real‐time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assay 6. Influenza A‐positive samples were further subtyped 6, 11…”

Comparison of the GenMark Diagnostics eSensor Respiratory Viral Panel to Real-Time PCR for Detection of Respiratory Viruses in Children

“…In addition to the clinical specimens tested, 20 characterized adenovirus serotypes representing groups A (type 12), B (types 3, 7, 11, 14, 21, and 35), C (types 1, 2, 5, and 6), D (types 10,19,20,29,32, and 37), E (type 4), and F (types 40 and 41) were obtained from either the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC), Manassas, VA, or Adriana Kajon, Infectious Diseases Program, Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute, Albuquerque, NM. The different serotypes were grown in lung adenocarcinoma epithelial cells (A549; ATCC CCL-185), diluted to achieve targeted real-time PCR C T values of between 25.00 and 27.99, and then tested by the eSensor RVP.…”

“…These infections can be severe and even fatal, especially in susceptible infants, older adults, patients with compromised immune systems, and individuals with underlying cardiopulmonary diseases. Rapid and accurate laboratory detection of respiratory viruses plays an important role in clinical management, guiding the appropriate prescription of antivirals, reducing the need for additional diagnostic studies and hospital procedures, and limiting the use of unnecessary antibiotics (2,4,5,6,10,19,31,35). In addition, a virologic diagnosis is instrumental to efforts focused on prevention of health care-associated infections (3,9,23,24).…”