Variola virus-specific diagnostic assays: characterization, sensitivity, and specificity

Ashley V Kondas; Victoria A Olson; Yu Li; Jason Abel; Miriam Laker; Laura Rose; Kimberly Wilkins; Jonathan Turner; Richard Kline; Inger K Damon

doi:10.1128/JCM.03613-14

Variola virus-specific diagnostic assays: characterization, sensitivity, and specificity

J Clin Microbiol. 2015 Apr;53(4):1406-10. doi: 10.1128/JCM.03613-14. Epub 2015 Feb 11.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
² National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA iad7@cdc.gov.

Abstract

A public health response relies upon rapid and reliable confirmation of disease by diagnostic assays. Here, we detail the design and validation of two variola virus-specific real-time PCR assays, since previous assays cross-reacted with newly identified cowpox viruses. The assay specificity must continually be reassessed as other closely related viruses are identified.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

Base Sequence
DNA, Viral / genetics
Molecular Sequence Data
Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods*
Sensitivity and Specificity
Species Specificity
Variola virus / isolation & purification*

Substances

DNA, Viral