Molecular method for the detection of Andes hantavirus infection: validation for clinical diagnostics.
Hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome is a severe disease caused by exposure to New World hantaviruses. Early diagnosis is difficult due to the lack of specific initial symptoms. Antihantavirus antibodies are usually negative until late in the febrile prodrome or the beginning of cardiopulmonary phase, while Andes hantavirus (ANDV) RNA genome can be detected before symptoms onset. We analyzed the effectiveness of quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) as a diagnostic tool detecting ANDV-Sout genome in peripheral blood cells from 78 confirmed hantavirus patients and 166 negative controls. Our results indicate that RT-qPCR had a low detection limit (~10 copies), with a specificity of 100% and a sensitivity of 94.9%. This suggests the potential for establishing RT-qPCR as the assay of choice for early diagnosis, promoting early effective care of patients, and improving other important aspects of ANDV infection management, such as compliance of biosafety recommendations for health personnel in order to avoid nosocomial transmission.
Programa Hantavirus, Facultad de Medicina, Clinica Alemana Universidad del Desarrollo, Avenida Las Condes, 12438, Santiago, Chile; Centro de Genética y Genómica, Facultad de Medicina, Clinica Alemana Universidad del Desarrollo, Avenida Las Condes, 12438, Santiago, Chile. Electronic address: mcvial@udd.cl.
Cecilia
C
Vial
Laboratorio Infectologia y Virologia Molecular, Escuela Medicina P. Universidad Católica, Marcoleta, 391, Santiago, Chile.
Constanza
C
Martinez-Valdebenito
Programa Hantavirus, Facultad de Medicina, Clinica Alemana Universidad del Desarrollo, Avenida Las Condes, 12438, Santiago, Chile.
Susana
S
Rios
Programa Hantavirus, Facultad de Medicina, Clinica Alemana Universidad del Desarrollo, Avenida Las Condes, 12438, Santiago, Chile.
Jessica
J
Martinez
Programa Hantavirus, Facultad de Medicina, Clinica Alemana Universidad del Desarrollo, Avenida Las Condes, 12438, Santiago, Chile.
Pablo A
PA
Vial
Laboratorio Infectologia y Virologia Molecular, Escuela Medicina P. Universidad Católica, Marcoleta, 391, Santiago, Chile.
Marcela
M
Ferres
Programa Hantavirus, Facultad de Medicina, Clinica Alemana Universidad del Desarrollo, Avenida Las Condes, 12438, Santiago, Chile.
Juan C
JC
Rivera
Programa Hantavirus, Facultad de Medicina, Clinica Alemana Universidad del Desarrollo, Avenida Las Condes, 12438, Santiago, Chile.
Ruth
R
Perez
Programa Hantavirus, Facultad de Medicina, Clinica Alemana Universidad del Desarrollo, Avenida Las Condes, 12438, Santiago, Chile.
Francisca
F
Valdivieso
D001769:Blood / Q000821:virology; D003955:Diagnostic Tests, Routine / Q000379:methods*; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D006476:Orthohantavirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018778:Hantavirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
Andes virus; Diagnosis; Hantavirus; RT-qPCR