Detection of Exanthematic Viruses Using a TaqMan Real-Time PCR Assay Panel in Patients with Clinically Diagnosed or Suspected Measles

• Published in: Japanese Journal of Infectious Diseases Vol. 65; no. 5; pp. 444 - 448
• Main Authors: Takao, Shinichi, Shigemoto, Naoki, Shimazu, Yukie, Tanizawa, Yukie, Fukuda, Shinji, Matsuo, Takeshi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japanese Journal of Infectious Diseases Editorial Committee 2012
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged, 80 and over; Child; Child, Preschool; Diagnosis, Differential; Enterovirus; Exanthema - virology; Female; Human herpesvirus 6; Human herpesvirus 7; Humans; Infant; Male; Measles - diagnosis; Measles - virology; Measles virus; Parvovirus B19; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction - methods; Rubella virus; Viruses - genetics; Viruses - isolation & purification
• ISSN: 1344-6304; 1884-2836
• DOI: 10.7883/yoken.65.444

Measles is one of the most highly transmissible contagious human diseases. Therefore, rapid diagnosis of measles and immediate preventive measures are essential to prevent the spread of the disease. The World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific Region, including Japan, has set a goal of eliminating measles by 2012. Confirmation of suspected measles cases by laboratory tests is one of the strategies to achieve this goal (1). In this paper, we describe the results of virus detection in 26 patients using a TaqMan real-time PCR assay panel (TaqMan panel). The TaqMan panel simultaneously detects and identifies measles virus (MV), rubella virus (RV), parvovirus B19 (PVB19), enterovirus (EV), and human herpesvirus type 6 (HHV-6) and type 7 (HHV-7) in clinical specimens.