[Influenza surveillance by molecular diagnosis].
BACKGROUND
Our objective was to evaluate the application of molecular techniques in the surveillance of influenza, and to describe clinical and epidemiological characteristics of cases diagnosed in 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 seasons.


METHODS
We analyzed 183 pharyngeal swabs from the same number of patients referred to the virology laboratory of the Sentinel Physician Network of Castilla y Leon, the study of influenza viruses by shell-vial technique and RT-PCR capable of detecting multiple Simultaneously, influenza virus A, B, C, respiratory syncytial virus A, B and adenovirus.


RESULTS
Using cell culture were isolated 17 influenza A viruses and 19 influenza B viruses (19.7% of total). By multiple RT-PCR, was detected 49 influenza A virus, 29 influenza B virus, an influenza virus C, 3 syncytial virus type A and other B and 6 adenoviruses (44.3% of total). All influenza viruses isolated in cell culture was detected by RT-PCR. RT-PCR by 5 co-infections were detected, which represented a 6.25% of co-infections on the whole of positive samples. The average age of patients was 29 years (SD = 21.07). The proportion of women and men accounted for 43.7% and 56.3% respectively. The number of cases diagnosed in relation to age follows a pattern of negative linear correlation.


CONCLUSIONS
RT-PCR is revealed as an useful tool for epidemiological surveillance of influenza, allowing also to detect viral subtypes along with other viruses involved in respiratory infections.
Tenorio-Abreu
Alberto
A
Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valladolid, Avda. Ramón y Cajal 3, 47005 Valladolid, Spain.
Eiros Bouza
Jose María
JM
Rodríguez Molins
Esmeralda
E
Bermejo Martín
Jesús Francisco
JF
Domínguez-Gil
Marta
M
Vega Alonso
Tomás
T
Castrodeza Sanz
Javier
J
de Lejarazu
Raul Ortiz
RO
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009975:Orthomyxoviridae / Q000235:genetics*; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D055815:Young Adult
D012367:RNA, Viral