title: Comparison of the detection of influenza A and B viruses by different methods.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the detection of influenza viruses by three different methods.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from patients with influenza symptoms and examined for influenza A and B viruses using a rapid antigen test, a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR)  test and a shell vial cell culture test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Using the shell vial cell culture test, the rapid antigen test and the multiplex PCR test in 130 patients, 31 (23.8%), 24 (18.5%) and 24 (18.5%) samples, respectively, were positive for influenza A and 10 (7.7%), nine (6.9%) and four (3.1%)  samples, respectively, were positive for influenza B. Compared with the shell vial test, the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of the rapid antigen test were 77.4%, 93.3%, 80.0% and 93.1%, respectively, for influenza A, and 90.0%, 95.8%, 64.2% and 99.1%,  respectively, for influenza B. The corresponding values for the multiplex PCR test were 77.4%, 95.9%, 85.7% and 93.1%, respectively, for influenza A, and 40.0%, 97.5%, 57.1% and 95.1%, respectively, for influenza B.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The multiplex PCR test and the rapid antigen test are both effective  in the detection of influenza A and B viruses.
authors: Department of Medical Microbiology, Meram Faculty of Medicine, Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya, Turkey. mehmetozdem@yahoo.com
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Özdemir
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Yavru
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Baysal
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009981:Influenza B virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology; D061985:Madin Darby Canine Kidney Cells; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D060885:Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction; D009305:Nasopharynx / Q000821:virology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014776:Virus Cultivation; D055815:Young Adult