Virology & Mycology
Open Access
ISSN: 2161-0517
ISSN: 2161-0517
Jiangqin Zhao1, Jikun Liu1, Sai Vikram Vemula1, Corinna Lin1, Viswanath Ragupathy1, Xue Wang1, Christelle Mbondji1, Zhiping Ye1, Marie Landry2 and Indira Hewlett1
Posters-Accepted Abstracts: Virol-mycol
Conventional methods for detection and discrimination of influenza viruses are time consuming and labor intensive. It is critical to develop accurate methods for their rapid characterization, prevention and treatment. We report a ??one-test-fitsall? approach using nanomicroarray for screening, and next-generation sequencing (NGS) assays for extensive identification of influenza virus infection or co-infections. The nanomicroarray was developed to target hemagglutinin, neuraminidase, and matrix genes to identify Influenza A and B viruses. PCR mega-amplicons synthesized by using a paired set of degenerate universal primers for whole-genome of influenza viruses were detected and confirmed using NGS. Influenza infections including A (H3N2), A (pdH1N1), influenza B virus, and A (H3N2 and pdH1N1) virus co-infections were identified in nasopharyngeal swab specimens in a single test run. Bioinformatics studies reveal their comprehensive genetic composition and provide matrix reporting information for diagnosis and characterization of novel virulence and drug resistance markers in these specimens. Furthermore, analytical sensitivity studies demonstrated that the NGS sequencing-based diagnostics can achieve ultrasensitive detection of influenza genomes. The current diagnostic platform allows for extensively identifying any unknown influenza viruses in a single test, simultaneously detecting and discriminating multiple influenza virus infections in a single specimen, and effectively monitoring changes in circulating influenza viruses that may have pandemic potential, thus facilitating diagnostics and antiviral treatment in the clinical setting and protection of the public health.