Rapid Detection of Adenovirus in Throat Swab Specimens by PCR during Respiratory Disease Outbreaks among Military Recruits

Abstract

We evaluated the performance of a generic PCR test to detect adenoviruses (AdV) in throat swab specimens collected from asymptomatic and ill military recruits with acute respiratory disease. Samples (n ‫؍‬ 210) were collected at entry to basic training and at the time of large outbreaks of AdV-associated acute respiratory disease among military recruits at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, from 1997 to 1998. Compared to cell culture, a sensitivity of 99% and a specificity of 98% were noted for the PCR method to detect AdV in throat swabs. Similar results were obtained with or without DNA extraction, suggesting the absence of significant inhibitors for the PCR method in throat swab samples. No AdV was detected by culture or PCR in throat swabs from healthy recruits, suggesting the absence of latency or asymptomatic shedding. Throat swab specimens proved to be adequate, noninvasive samples to rapidly diagnose respiratory disease in young adults. This generic direct PCR proved to be a useful test for the rapid diagnosis of AdV-associated respiratory disease, detecting all serotypes tested to date and furnishing results within 6 h of specimen arrival. The use of this direct, rapid, sensitive, and specific assay would assist health care providers and public health practitioners in the early diagnosis, management, and control of AdV-associated respiratory disease.

Evaluation of PCR Testing of Ethanol-Fixed Nasal Swab Specimens as an Augmented Surveillance Strategy for Influenza Virus and Adenovirus Identification

“…Previously, PCR detected AdV in a large number of environmental (air filter) samples that were culture negative during an AdV-associated respiratory disease outbreak in November 1998 at Fort Jackson, S.C. (2,14). The same generic PCR method (with detection of the 139-bp product by agarose gel electrophoresis and ethidium bromide staining) gave an excellent correlation with culture of throat swab specimens during the outbreak (15). The authors suggested that the amount of virus present in the air filters was insufficient for viral detection by culture, although the environmental inactivation of the viral particles, possibly by disinfectants, could not be excluded.…”

“…The loss of AdV vaccines precipitated a wave of AdV4 infections beginning in 1997. AdV4 is now the predominant cause of large, frequent respiratory disease epidemics in military training centers nationwide, where reported AdV infection rates can range from 30 to 80% of new recruits (3,15,25,27,30,40). Molecular tests for the DNA genome of AdV typically target the genes encoding the three coat proteins: hexon, penton base, and fiber.…”

A nested multiplex polymerase chain reaction assay for the differential identification of three zooanthroponotic chlamydial strains in porcine swab samples

“…Such observation might be explained by the relative long time centrifugation, which can gather more chlamydial agents, thus avoiding the loss of DNA as in protocol 1. 9 Compared with the traditional methods, protocol 2 was simpler and easier to perform at a significantly lower cost.…”

Adenovirus infections in immuncompromised patients

“…Restrikciós enzimekkel a vírus-DNS kis szakaszokra bontható, amelyek specifi kusak egy adott szerotípusra, segítségükkel immunszuppresszált betegből új szerotípusok identifi ká-ciója is lehetséges [45]. Gyors, érzékeny, akár egy adott adenovírus-speciesre specifi kus kimutatási lehetőséget biztosít a PCR, sejtmentes mintákból (például plazma) éppúgy, mint bármely egyéb mintából, még alacsonyabb kópiaszám esetén is [53,54]. Habár a szérum-vagy szövetminták pozitív PCR-eredménye a vírus disszeminációjának korai jele lehet [55], a klasszikus PCR-rel történő kvalitatív vizsgálat a disszeminált betegség diagnózisában félrevezető lehet, hiszen alacsony kópiaszámban a vírus DNS-e perzisztensen fertőzött, egészséges emberek véréből is kimutatható [9,28].…”