title: Comparison of nasopharyngeal nylon flocked swabs with universal transport medium and rayon-bud swabs with a sponge reservoir of viral transport medium in the diagnosis of paediatric influenza.
abstract: This study compared a kit containing a nasopharyngeal nylon flocked swab and a tube with a liquid universal transport medium (UTM) with a kit containing a plastic-shafted rayon-budded swab with a sponge reservoir of viral transport medium for the molecular detection of influenza viruses in children. Respiratory samples were collected from 314 children aged <5 years with influenza-like illness (186 males; mean age 2.32+/-2.27 years) using both swabs in a randomized sequence for each patient. The flocked swabs permitted the detection of 28 influenza A (8.9 %) and 45 influenza B (14.3 %) cases, and the rayon-bud swabs 26 influenza A (8.3 %) and 43 influenza B (13.7 %) cases, with detection rates of 23.2 and 22.0 %, respectively, and similar cycle threshold values. Paediatricians and laboratory staff were significantly more satisfied with both the simplicity (P <0.0001) and rapidity (P <0.0001) of the nasopharyngeal flocked swabs with UTM. These findings show that the flocked swabs with UTM and the rayon-bud swabs with a sponge transport medium are similarly efficient in preserving influenza virus nucleic acid, but that the kit containing a flocked swab with a UTM allows easier and more rapid collection and processing of specimens.
authors.affiliation: Department of Maternal and Pediatric Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Fondazione IRCCS 'Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Mangiagalli e Regina Elena', Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Susanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Esposito
authors.affiliation: Department of Maternal and Pediatric Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Fondazione IRCCS 'Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Mangiagalli e Regina Elena', Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudio Giuseppe
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Molteni
authors.affiliation: Department of Maternal and Pediatric Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Fondazione IRCCS 'Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Mangiagalli e Regina Elena', Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Daleno
authors.affiliation: Department of Maternal and Pediatric Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Fondazione IRCCS 'Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Mangiagalli e Regina Elena', Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Valzano
authors.affiliation: Department of Maternal and Pediatric Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Fondazione IRCCS 'Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Mangiagalli e Regina Elena', Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cesati
authors.affiliation: Department of Maternal and Pediatric Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Fondazione IRCCS 'Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Mangiagalli e Regina Elena', Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gualtieri
authors.affiliation: Department of Maternal and Pediatric Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Fondazione IRCCS 'Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Mangiagalli e Regina Elena', Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tagliabue
authors.affiliation: Department of Maternal and Pediatric Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Fondazione IRCCS 'Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Mangiagalli e Regina Elena', Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bosis
authors.affiliation: Department of Maternal and Pediatric Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Fondazione IRCCS 'Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Mangiagalli e Regina Elena', Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Principi
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009981:Influenza B virus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D009305:Nasopharynx / Q000821:virology*; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000295:instrumentation*