Korean J Clin Microbiol.  2004 Sep;7(2):119-123.

Evaluation of a Rapid Antigen Test for Detection of Influenza Virus

• Lee WG
• Lee HK
• Kim HJ
• Chung JK
• Lee EH
• Moon HR

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Influenza virus is a cause of annual outbreaks of acute respiratory disease and is responsible for considerable mortality and morbidity in all age groups. To achieve maximum efficacy antiinfluenza drugs must be started within 48 h of the development of influenza symptoms. Improvements in rapid diagnosis methods are needed to identify influenza infections. The aim of this study was to compare a quick rapid antigen test with viral culture assays.
METHODS
A total of 87 nasopharyngeal swab specimens were collected from symptomatic paediatric patients during March, 2004. The performance of the Quick S-Influ A/B rapid test for influenza virus detection was compared to that of the viral culture.
RESULTS
The overall rate of detection for viral culture was 23.4% for influenza A virus and 13.4% for influenza B virus. The Quick S-Influ A/B assay identified 17 of 18 influenza A viruses (sensitivity, 94.4%; specificity, 96.8%; PPV, 89.5%; NPV, 98.4%), and identified 7 of 9 influenza B viruses (sensitivity, 77.8%; specificity, 98.4%; PPV, 87.5%; NPV, 96.8%).
CONCLUSIONS
The Quick S-Influ A/B assay was easy to perform and showed comparable sensitivities and specificities. This rapid test kit can be an alternative tool for interventions in disease management.

Keyword

Rapid antigen test; Influenza A virus; Influenza B virus

MeSH Terms

Diagnosis
Disease Management
Disease Outbreaks
Humans
Influenza A virus
Influenza B virus
Influenza, Human*
Mortality
Orthomyxoviridae*
Sensitivity and Specificity