Comparison of 10 indirect fluorescent antibodies to detect and type influenza A specimens.

Abstract Context.—Management of influenza infections relies on rapid, accurate, and sensitive diagnostic techniques. Influenza A (IA) strain typing has become more important since the emergence of highly pathogenic avian and novel influenza strains and the high frequency of oseltamivir resistance in circulating H1N1 isolates. Objective.—To analyze the performance of indirect fluorescent antibody testing for subtyping a broad range of IA strains. Design.—Ten indirect fluorescent antibody reagents were used to detect and type 100 archived IA respiratory specimens from 1986 through 1995 and 2006 through 2007 and a reassortant, nonpathogenic H5N1 sample. Both direct specimen and cultured isolates were tested. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was used to confirm indirect fluorescent antibody results. Three H1N1-, 2 H3N2-, and 1 H1-H2-H3-H5–specific antibodies (Chemicon Diagnostics), an IA pool reagent (Trinity Biotech), and H1, H3, and H1-H3–specific antibodies (Centers for Disease Control and P...