Immunoassay Detects Respiratory Syncytial Virus

A lateral flow immunoassay detects acute respiratory syncytial (RSV) virus antigen from nasopharyngeal swabs.

The rapid, easy-to-use test takes only 15 minutes to perform and can also be used on nasopharyngeal aspirates and nasal/nasopharyngeal washes, and has high sensitivity and specificity. The two-color result is easy to read and interpret, and as there is only one reagent, hands-on-time is approximately 30 seconds.

QuickVue RSV 10 employs the identical test method and sample preparation of the QuickVue Influenza A+B test, allowing for the use of the same nasopharyngeal patient specimen when testing for influenza or an RSV infection. Both test are manufactured by Quidel Corporation, (San Diego, CA) and have received 501 (k) clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA, Silver Spring, MD, USA). There are built in controls for this qualitative test providing verification of test strip functional integrity, which increases confidence in results.

Almost all infants will suffer from an RSV infection before the age of two. RSV is the most common cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia in children under one year of age in the United States resulting in between 75,000 and 125,000 children hospitalized annually because of an RSV infection.

Douglas Bryant, president and CEO of Quidel Corporation, said, "The signs of an RSV infection are often similar to other respiratory infections, and diagnosis by symptoms alone can be difficult. Our new QuickVue RSV 10 product is a reliable, easy-to-use aid in detecting RSV in children. This new product will be available for the upcoming RSV season, which normally begins in November."

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Quidel Corporation
FDA