Operon -Simple Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Flu A+B Rapid Test Kit

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is the leading cause of emergency rooms visits and hospitalizations for acute lower respiratory tract infections in infants and young children worldwide. RSV can also become a serious problem in the elderly, adults with heart and lung diseases, or anyone with a very weak immune system (immunocompromised). RSV is one of the main causes of nosocomial infection due to its high infectivity, the virus potential to be spread over extensive periods, and its ability to survive for hours on environmental surfaces.

The Influenza virus is a serious and highly contagious infection of the respiratory tract. The virus is easily spread by coughing and sneezing. Although the majority of patients recover in one or two weeks without needing any treatment, there are risk groups such as children, the elderly, pregnant women and immunosuppressed people where serious complications can occur leading to death.

Influenza type A viruses (sub-types H1N1 and H3N2 being the most important in humans) are usually more frequent than type B viruses and are associated with the most severe Influenza epidemics (especially sub-type H3N2) whereas type B infections are usually milder. Outbreaks due to RSV and Influenza infection occur each year during the autumn and winter months, both of which are very seasonal.
The rapid identification of these viruses is very important since it allows saving in health costs by reducing, on the one hand, the number of hospitalized patients and, on the other hand, the medicines to be prescribed (if it is confirmed that it is a viral infection, antibiotics would not be prescribed). In the case of Influenza not all antiviral drugs are effective against type A and type B of the virus, hence the importance of distinguishing between both types.

The OPERON RSV-Flu A+B chromatographic immunoassay is a rapid procedure for the qualitative and differential detection of the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and Influenza virus types A and B in respiratory samples such us nasopharyngeal swabs, washes and aspirates. A positive signal in either test bands provides a good indication that should draw the attention of the clinician to the possible presence of a RSV and/or Influenza infection and contribute to the diagnosis of the patient.

In the case of a negative result for a patient who shows the typical symptomatology of this type of infections, it is recommended to confirm the result by tissue culture or by PCR-type molecular techniques. The results of this test will be used to support the data available from the clinical evaluation of the patient; it is not in itself a definitive diagnosis.