Possibilities for Laboratory Diagnosis of Respiratory Syncytial Virus

Abstract

ABSTRACTRespiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is well recognized as the single most important pathogen accounting for acute viral infections of the lower respiratory tract in infants and young children. That is why rapid detection of RSV is mandatory for early diagnosis, isolation measures, and antiviral therapy. The aim of our stydy was to implement several tests for diagnosis of RSV and determination the role of this pathogen in high risk infants in Bulgaria. During the period 2003–2005 the Laboratory of Influenza and Acute Respiratory Diseases responded the new requirements for the diagnosis of RSV using a complex of classic and contemporary methods. HEp-2 cell lines were used for the isolation of the viruses—total of 7 RSV strains were isolated and identified by classical CFT. Rapid enzyme immunoassays—Directigen were used for the detection of RSV viral antigens of 16 passaged clinical samples. 12 positive by IFA modification on chamber slides were identified. In 2005 RT-PCR using N specific primers was applied for detection of RSV genome in initial samples from patients before viral isolation. The obtained 4 positive results by this method helped to decode the aetiology of the outbreak in Pazardjic in January 2005. Our work shows that the laboratory Influenza and Acute Rerspiratory Diseases have the readiness for effective diagnosis of RSV using a complex of contemporary methods for detection of RSV in clinical samples.