Development of a Diagnostic System for Novel Influenza A(H7N9) Virus Using a Real-Time RT-PCR Assay in Japan

• Published in: Japanese Journal of Infectious Diseases Vol. 68; no. 2; pp. 113 - 118
• Main Authors: Takayama, Ikuyo, Takahashi, Hitoshi, Nakauchi, Mina, Nagata, Shiho, Tashiro, Masato, Kageyama, Tsutomu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japanese Journal of Infectious Diseases Editorial Committee 2015
• Subjects: Animals; diagnosis; Epidemiological Monitoring; Humans; Influenza A Virus, H7N9 Subtype - isolation & purification; influenza A(H7N9) virus; Influenza, Human - diagnosis; Influenza, Human - virology; Japan; Molecular Diagnostic Techniques - methods; one-step real-time RT-PCR assay; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction - methods; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction - methods; Sensitivity and Specificity; Japan
• ISSN: 1344-6304; 1884-2836
• DOI: 10.7883/yoken.JJID.2014.136

The first human cases of infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus were reported in March 2013 in China. The number of confirmed cases continues to increase, although almost all the cases are limited to China. In this study, a one-step real-time RT-PCR assay was developed for detecting the novel A(H7N9) virus. This assay was shown to have high specificity, good linearity, and high sensitivity to a broad range of Eurasian H7 viruses. The assay is useful both for diagnostic purposes in cases of suspected human infection with the influenza A(H7N9) virus and in the surveillance of both avian and human influenza viruses. A diagnostic system using this assay was prepared at 74 prefectural and municipal public health institutes and 16 quarantine stations in Japan early into the human H7N9 infection outbreaks, enabling potential diagnoses of H7N9 infection across Japan.