Identification of a Novel Pathogen Using Family-Wide PCR: Initial Confirmation of COVID-19 in Thailand

Supaporn Wacharapluesadee; Rome Buathong; Sopon Iamsirithawon; Walairat Chaifoo; Teerada Ponpinit; Chanida Ruchisrisarod; Chanikarn Sonpee; Panticha Katasrila; Siriporn Yomrat; Siriporn Ghai; Sunee Sirivichayakul; Pilailuk Okada; Nanthawan Mekha; Opart Karnkawinpong; Sumonmal Uttayamakul; Apichart Vachiraphan; Tanarak Plipat; Thiravat Hemachudha

doi:10.3389/fpubh.2020.555013

Identification of a Novel Pathogen Using Family-Wide PCR: Initial Confirmation of COVID-19 in Thailand

Front Public Health. 2020 Oct 7:8:555013. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2020.555013. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Supaporn Wacharapluesadee^{1

2}, Rome Buathong³, Sopon Iamsirithawon³, Walairat Chaifoo³, Teerada Ponpinit^{1

2}, Chanida Ruchisrisarod^{1

2}, Chanikarn Sonpee^{1

2}, Panticha Katasrila^{1

2}, Siriporn Yomrat^{1

2}, Siriporn Ghai^{1

2}, Sunee Sirivichayakul², Pilailuk Okada⁴, Nanthawan Mekha⁴, Opart Karnkawinpong⁴, Sumonmal Uttayamakul⁵, Apichart Vachiraphan⁵, Tanarak Plipat³, Thiravat Hemachudha^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Thai Red Cross Emerging Infectious Diseases Health Science Centre, World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Research and Training on Viral Zoonoses, King Chulalongkorn University, Pathumwan, Thailand.
² Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
³ Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi, Thailand.
⁴ Department of Medical Sciences, Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi, Thailand.
⁵ Department of Disease Control, Bamrasnaradura Infectious Disease Institute, Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi, Thailand.

Abstract

In resource-limited countries, early detection of novel pathogens is often challenging, due to financial and technical constraints. This study reports the efficacy of family-wide polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in screening, detecting, and identifying initial cases of the novel SARS-CoV-2 in Thailand. Respiratory secretions were collected from suspected individuals traveling from Wuhan, China to Thailand at the beginning of January 2020. Family-wide PCR assays yielded positive results for coronavirus in one traveler within 12 h on January 8, 2020. Nucleotide sequences (290 bp) showed 100% similarity to SARS-CoV-2. The whole genome sequence was further characterized by Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) for confirmation. Combining family-wide PCR, as a rapid screening tool, with NGS, for full genome characterization, could facilitate early detection and confirmation of a novel pathogen and enable early containment of a disease outbreak.

Keywords: COVID-19; NGS; SARS-CoV-2; Thailand; coronavirus; family-wide PCR; novel pathogen.

Copyright © 2020 Wacharapluesadee, Buathong, Iamsirithawon, Chaifoo, Ponpinit, Ruchisrisarod, Sonpee, Katasrila, Yomrat, Ghai, Sirivichayakul, Okada, Mekha, Karnkawinpong, Uttayamakul, Vachiraphan, Plipat and Hemachudha.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

COVID-19*
China
Humans
Polymerase Chain Reaction
SARS-CoV-2
Thailand