title: Detection of emergent strains of West Nile virus with a blood screening assay.
abstract: West Nile virus (WNV) is a threat to transfusion safety. WNV Kunjin strain (WNVKUN ) is endemic across parts of Australia; however, human infection is believed to be infrequent and is often associated with relatively minor symptoms. A virulent strain, closely related to WNVKUN (termed WNVNSW2011 ) was recently identified as the etiologic agent of encephalitis in Australian horses. The aim of this project was to investigate whether a commercially available WNV blood screening assay can detect different strains of WNVKUN , including the virulent WNVNSW2011 , in human blood donor samples.
  
  
  
  Plasma samples were spiked with four different strains of WNVKUN , as well as a prototype WNV strain, at high, medium, and low viral loads. Spiking was confirmed with real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), before testing with the Procleix WNV transcription-mediated amplification (TMA) blood screening assay (Grifols).
  
  
  
  All WNV strains used were detectable by RT-PCR after being spiked into plasma. Additionally, all viral spiked samples were reactive by WNV TMA.
  
  
  
  We experimentally demonstrate that a commercially available WNV blood screening assay can detect different strains of WNVKUN . Given that WNV can be transfusion transmissible, it is essential to confirm that emergent strains are detectable by existing blood screening methods.
authors.affiliation: Research and Development, Australian Red Cross Blood Service, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.|School of Medicine, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Helen M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Faddy
authors.affiliation: Research and Development, Australian Red Cross Blood Service, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Robert L P
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Flower
authors.affiliation: Medical Services, Australian Red Cross Blood Service, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Clive R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Seed
authors.affiliation: Manufacturing, Australian Red Cross Blood Service, Alexandria, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ismay
authors.affiliation: Hologic, Inc., San Diego, California.
authors.forename: Edgar
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ong
authors.affiliation: Hologic, Inc., San Diego, California.
authors.forename: Jeffrey M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Linnen
authors.affiliation: Hologic, Inc., San Diego, California.
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cory
authors.affiliation: Grifols Diagnostic Solutions Inc., Emeryville, California.
authors.forename: Jerry A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Holmberg
authors.affiliation: Australian Infectious Disease Research Centre, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Roy A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.affiliation: Australian Infectious Disease Research Centre, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Yin X
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Setoh
authors.affiliation: Australian Infectious Disease Research Centre, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Joshua M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Deerain
authors.affiliation: Australian Infectious Disease Research Centre, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia.|QIMR Berghofer, Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Natalie A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Prow
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001782:Blood Donors; D006736:Horses; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D021141:Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D065227:Transfusion Reaction; D014901:West Nile Fever / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D014902:West Nile virus / Q000235:genetics*