Duplex Rt-PCR Assays for Rapid Detection, Sorting of Influenza Viruses

Future pandemic prevention from influenza virus type A strain (H1N1) 2009 in India require rapid and reliable testing of larger samples collected in year round at different geographical, environmental and social strata for novel strains and its differentiation from seasonal ones. In this study, a real-time Reverse Transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) assay was used in multiplex for detecting Influenza A gene, Swine influenza H1 gene and human RNP gene, with normal PCR in singleplex for B viruses for 24 patient nasal swab samples, who were reporting with influenza like illness (ILI) from local clinic in Chennai and these patients showed low circulation of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 strain. KEYWORDS: Influenza, Nasal Swab, Real-Time PCR, RT-PCR, Swine Flu, (H1N1) 2009 Strain