Evaluation of a Real-Time Reverse Transcription-PCR Assay for Detection of Enterovirus D68 in Clinical Samples from an Outbreak in New York State in 2014

Abstract

An outbreak of severe respiratory illness associated with enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) infection was reported in mid-The EV-D68 rRT-PCR showed diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of 98.6% and 97.5%, respectively. Our data suggest that the EV-D68 rRT-PCR is a reliable assay for detection of EV-D68 in clinical samples and has a potential to be used as a tool for rapid diagnosis and outbreak investigation of EV-D68-associated infections in clinical and public health laboratories.

Severe enterovirus 68 respiratory illness in children requiring intensive care management

“…Future research should be directed at improving the knowledge of EV-D68 epidemiology, disseminating specific EV-D68 laboratory tests [12,22], and identifying EV-D68-specific therapies. Prospective follow-up is needed to determine the long-term outcomes of children with EV-D68 infection.…”

“…Prior to the development of real-time RT-PCR for EV-D68 [22], samples were sequenced based on the enterovirus VP1 region at the CDC [23]. Once an EV-D68-specific RT-PCR method was developed, the remaining samples were tested by RT-PCR only at CMH.…”

Management strategies of enterovirus D68 outbreaks: current perspectives

“…An EV-D68-specific RT-PCR method was quickly developed by the CDC following the outbreak in 2014 and was approved by the Food and Drug Administration under emergency use authorization only. [39][40][41] Other RT-PCR methods, with different degrees of specificity and sensitivity, have also been developed [42][43][44] as well as a duplex-assay for simulations screening and differentiation between non-D68 EV positive and D68 positive virus. 45 Complete viral genomes of EV-D68 have been generated by high-throughput sequencing of overlapping amplicons from primary specimens, allowing for identification of new clades as well as by other whole-genome sequencing strategies.…”

Meeting report: 4th ISIRV antiviral group conference: Novel antiviral therapies for influenza and other respiratory viruses

“…Several cases of flaccid myelitis have been temporally related to EV-D68 infection but a causal role of EV-D68 has not been established. A new real-time RT-PCR test is available from the CDC (Zhuge et al, 2015). Three strains have been identified with 92% belonging to one strain, 7.4% to the second, and a single case of the third strain.…”