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- Title
Detection of emergent strains of West Nile virus with a blood screening assay.
- Authors
Faddy, Helen M.; Flower, Robert L.P.; Seed, Clive R.; Ismay, Susan; Ong, Edgar; Linnen, Jeffrey M.; Cory, Robin; Holmberg, Jerry A.; Hall, Roy A.; Setoh, Yin X.; Deerain, Joshua M.; Prow, Natalie A.
- Abstract
<bold>Background: </bold>West Nile virus (WNV) is a threat to transfusion safety. WNV Kunjin strain (WNVKUN ) is endemic across parts of Australia; however, human infection is believed to be infrequent and is often associated with relatively minor symptoms. A virulent strain, closely related to WNVKUN (termed WNVNSW2011 ) was recently identified as the etiologic agent of encephalitis in Australian horses. The aim of this project was to investigate whether a commercially available WNV blood screening assay can detect different strains of WNVKUN , including the virulent WNVNSW2011 , in human blood donor samples.<bold>Study Design and Methods: </bold>Plasma samples were spiked with four different strains of WNVKUN , as well as a prototype WNV strain, at high, medium, and low viral loads. Spiking was confirmed with real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), before testing with the Procleix WNV transcription-mediated amplification (TMA) blood screening assay (Grifols).<bold>Results: </bold>All WNV strains used were detectable by RT-PCR after being spiked into plasma. Additionally, all viral spiked samples were reactive by WNV TMA.<bold>Conclusion: </bold>We experimentally demonstrate that a commercially available WNV blood screening assay can detect different strains of WNVKUN . Given that WNV can be transfusion transmissible, it is essential to confirm that emergent strains are detectable by existing blood screening methods.
- Subjects
WEST Nile virus; BLOOD transfusion; ENCEPHALITIS; DIRECTED blood donations; DONOR blood supply; WEST Nile fever transmission; WEST Nile fever prevention; ANIMAL experimentation; BLOOD donors; HORSES; MEDICAL screening; POLYMERASE chain reaction; NUCLEIC acid amplification techniques
- Publication
Transfusion, 2016, Vol 56, Issue 6pt2, p1503
- ISSN
0041-1132
- Publication type
journal article
- DOI
10.1111/trf.13443