Abstract
Since the spring of 2013, human infections with H7N9 viruses have been detected in China. Some of these viruses have become highly pathogenic. Highly and low pathogenic avian influenza H7N9 viruses are currently co-circulating with the seasonal influenza A viruses H3N2 and H1N1pdm09. Prompt identification and isolation of H7N9 patients is one measure to prevent the spread of H7N9 virus and help prevent a pandemic. The majority of commercially available point-of-care rapid influenza diagnostic kits can differentiate between influenza A and B viruses, but cannot distinguish between H7N9 viruses and seasonal influenza A viruses. Accordingly, we have developed a rapid diagnostic kit specific for the H7 subtype that is accessible, easy to use. Although the detection limit of this H7 kit is one-tenth lower than that of a commercially available rapid influenza A and B diagnostic kit of similar design, except for the specificity of the monoclonal antibodies used, this kit is highly specific, detecting only H7-subtype influenza viruses, including the recent highly pathogenic H7N9 viruses from humans, and does not show any non-specific reactions with other HA subtypes. This H7 kit will be of value for the early detection of H7N9-infected patients.
Highlights
Human infections with low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) H7N9 virus were first reported in the spring of 2013 in China (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013; Gao R. et al, 2013)
The detection mechanism of the H7 kit is based on an immunochromatographic method that is almost identical to that of the commercially available rapid diagnostic kit ImunoAce Flu (TAUNS Laboratories, Inc., Shizuoka, Japan)
The detection sensitivity of this H7 kit was almost one-tenth lower than that of ImunoAce Flu, which detects the NP of influenza A or B virus, the kit reacted with only H7 subtypes and did not show any non-specific reactions with other subtypes
Summary
Human infections with low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) H7N9 virus were first reported in the spring of 2013 in China (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013; Gao R. et al, 2013). Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H7N9 viruses emerged and infected humans during the fifth wave (World Health Organization, 2017b). Sustained human-to-human transmission of the virus has not yet been reported, several mammalian-adaptive mutations have been detected in H7N9 viruses (Wang D. et al, 2014; Wang Y.R. et al, 2014; Watanabe et al, 2014; Xiao et al, 2016). These mutations may contribute to the ability of these viruses to infect mammals.
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