Evaluation of an Optical Immunoassay Test for Rapid Detection of Influenza A and B Viral Antigen

Abstract

An optical immunoassay test, FLU OIA^® (BIOSTAR, USA), was evaluated for the diagnosis of influenza viral infection.
The reactivity of the FLU OIA test was evaluated using 42 influenza strains (25 human influenza A, 12 human influenza B, 2 swine influenza A and 3 avian influenza A strains). The FLU OIA test showed positive results for all influenza strains. There was no evidence that cross-reactivity occurred with non-influenza viruses. The detection limit of the FLU OIA test was found to be 3.0-6.5×10⁴ pfu/assay for human influenza A and B strains. The sensitivity and specificity of the FLU OIA test compared to isolation in cell culture was 89.7% and 76.0% for testing of 54 nasopharyngeal aspirate specimens.
The FLU OIA test is rapid and easy for the detection of influenza A and B viral antigen and provide a valuable tool for the rapid diagnosis of influenza viral infection.