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Home / Equine Research Bank / Influenza Other Respir Viruses / The evaluation of three diagnostic tests for the detection o...
Influenza and other respiratory viruses2014; 8(3); 376-383; doi: 10.1111/irv.12235

The evaluation of three diagnostic tests for the detection of equine influenza nucleoprotein in nasal swabs.

Abstract: Equine influenza (EI) is a highly contagious respiratory disease of horses. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate two rapid antigen detection kits (Directigen or DFA, and Espline) and a commercial ELISA for the detection of EI nucleoprotein in nasal swabs. Methods: Nasal swab samples from naturally and experimentally infected horses were used to compare the sensitivity and specificity of these assays to virus isolation (VI) and real-time RT-PCR. Results: If real-time RT-PCR was considered as the gold standard, the sensitivity of the other tests in field samples was 68% (DFA), 35% (ELISA), 29% (Espline), and 9% (VI). These tests had 100% specificity when compared to real-time RT-PCR. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve indicated that decreasing the cutoff of the ELISA would increase sensitivity with some loss of specificity. In samples from experimentally infected horses, the sensitivity of the tests compared with real-time RT-PCR was 69% (VI), 27% (DFA), 6% (Espline), and 2% (ELISA). The specificity was 100% for Espline and ELISA and 95% for VI and DFA. Conclusions: This study illustrated that DFA is the most sensitive antigen detection test evaluated for the diagnosis of EI and that it can detect virus in some subclinical infected and vaccinated horses. The results suggest that DFA is a useful adjunct to laboratory tests and may be effective as a screening test in a quarantine station or similar facility where horses are monitored daily.
© 2014 The Authors. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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Publication Date: 2014-02-07 PubMed ID: 24512560PubMed Central: PMC4181487DOI: 10.1111/irv.12235Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Evaluation Study
  • Journal Article
  • Research Support
  • Non-U.S. Gov't

Summary

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The research article discusses the evaluation of three diagnostic tests for identifying equine influenza in horses. The paper aimed to evaluate two rapid antigen detection kits and a commercial ELISA by comparing the sensitivity and specificity of these tests with virus isolation and real-time RT-PCR.

Objectives and Methods Used

  • The objective of the study was to evaluate the efficiency of two rapid antigen detection kits (Directigen or DFA, and Espline) and a commercial ELISA in detecting equine influenza nucleoprotein in nasal swabs.
  • The researchers used nasal swabs from horses which were both naturally and experimentally infected with equine influenza.
  • They then compared the sensitivity and specificity of these assays – that is, the ability of the tests to correctly identify those with and without the disease – to virus isolation (VI) and real-time Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR).

Results

  • When real-time RT-PCR was considered the most accurate standard test, the study found that Directigen had 68% sensitivity, while ELISA had 35%, Espline had 29%, and Virus Isolation had 9% in field samples. This indicates how often these tests correctly detected those with equine influenza when compared to real-time RT-PCR.
  • However, all tests showed 100% specificity when compared to real-time RT-PCR. This denotes how often the tests correctly identified those without the disease.
  • Using a Receiver Operating Characteristic curve, a graph used to display the relationship between sensitivity and specificity, the researchers found that lowering the standard for the ELISA test would result in higher sensitivity but at the cost of some specificity.
  • In samples from experimentally infected horses, the sensitivity of the tests compared with real-time RT-PCR was 69% for Virus Isolation, 27% for Directigen, 6% for Espline, and 2% for ELISA. The specificity was 100% for Espline and ELISA and 95% for Virus Isolation and Directigen.

Conclusions

  • The study concluded that the Directigen test is the most sensitive antigen detection test for diagnosing equine influenza. Moreover, it was successful in detecting the virus in some horses that showed no symptoms of illness but had been vaccinated.
  • The results suggest that the Directigen test can be used as a supplementary tool to laboratory tests and may be effective as a preliminary screening test at places like quarantine stations where horses are regularly monitored.

Cite This Article

APA
Galvin P, Gildea S, Nelly M, Quinlivan M, Arkins S, Walsh C, Cullinane A. (2014). The evaluation of three diagnostic tests for the detection of equine influenza nucleoprotein in nasal swabs. Influenza Other Respir Viruses, 8(3), 376-383. https://doi.org/10.1111/irv.12235

Publication

Influenza and other respiratory viruses
ISSN: 1750-2659
NlmUniqueID: 101304007
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 8
Issue: 3
Pages: 376-383

Researcher Affiliations

Galvin, Pamela
  • Virology Unit, The Irish Equine Centre, Johnstown, Naas, Co. Kildare, Ireland.
Gildea, Sarah
    Nelly, Maura
      Quinlivan, Michelle
        Arkins, Sean
          Walsh, Cathal
            Cullinane, Ann

              MeSH Terms

              • Animals
              • Diagnostic Tests, Routine / instrumentation
              • Diagnostic Tests, Routine / methods
              • Diagnostic Tests, Routine / veterinary
              • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / instrumentation
              • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / methods
              • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / veterinary
              • Horse Diseases / diagnosis
              • Horses
              • Nose / virology
              • Nucleocapsid Proteins
              • Orthomyxoviridae Infections / diagnosis
              • Orthomyxoviridae Infections / veterinary
              • RNA-Binding Proteins / analysis
              • RNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
              • Reagent Kits, Diagnostic / veterinary
              • Sensitivity and Specificity
              • Viral Core Proteins / analysis
              • Viral Core Proteins / genetics

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              Citations

              This article has been cited 4 times.
              1. Singh RK, Dhama K, Karthik K, Khandia R, Munjal A, Khurana SK, Chakraborty S, Malik YS, Virmani N, Singh R, Tripathi BN, Munir M, van der Kolk JH. A Comprehensive Review on Equine Influenza Virus: Etiology, Epidemiology, Pathobiology, Advances in Developing Diagnostics, Vaccines, and Control Strategies. Front Microbiol 2018;9:1941.
                doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.01941pubmed: 30237788google scholar: lookup
              2. Gahan J, Garvey M, Gildea S, Gür E, Kagankaya A, Cullinane A. Whole-genome sequencing and antigenic analysis of the first equine influenza virus identified in Turkey. Influenza Other Respir Viruses 2018 May;12(3):374-382.
                doi: 10.1111/irv.12485pubmed: 28940727google scholar: lookup
              3. Gora IM, Kwasnik M, Zmudzinski JF, Rozek W. Chorioallantoic membranes of embryonated chicken eggs as an alternative system for isolation of equine influenza virus. Virol J 2017 Jun 21;14(1):120.
                doi: 10.1186/s12985-017-0788-3pubmed: 28637468google scholar: lookup
              4. Yamanaka T, Nemoto M, Bannai H, Tsujimura K, Kondo T, Matsumura T, Gildea S, Cullinane A. Evaluation of twenty-two rapid antigen detection tests in the diagnosis of Equine Influenza caused by viruses of H3N8 subtype. Influenza Other Respir Viruses 2016 Mar;10(2):127-33.
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