Detection of influenza viruses in throat swab by using polymerase chain reaction

An assay protocal based on exploiting the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the direct detection of influenza virus in throat swab is described. By use of the mixture of HI and H3 primers, it was possible to determine the subtype of the influenza A viruses simultaneously. No visible band was detected after PCR of influenza B or A (H2N2) viruses with a pair of HI or H3 primers. The dilution experiment showed that the influenza viruses, as few as 1.3–6 plaque-forming units, were sufficient for detecting the HA gene by PCR. All throat swab samples from which influenza viruses had been isolated by conventional method were also positively detected by PCR method.