The rapid identification of human influenza neuraminidase N1 and N2 subtypes by ELISA

• Published in: Vaccine Vol. 24; no. 44; pp. 6675 - 6678
• Main Authors: Barr, I.G., McCaig, M., Durrant, C., Shaw, R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 10.11.2006; Elsevier; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Applied microbiology; Biological and medical sciences; Diagnostic; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Identification; Influenza A virus - classification; Influenza A virus - enzymology; Influenza A virus - immunology; Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype - enzymology; Influenza A Virus, H3N2 Subtype - enzymology; Influenza, Human - epidemiology; Influenza, Human - virology; Laboratories; Medical research; Microbiology; Miscellaneous; Neuraminidase - classification; Neuraminidase - genetics; Neuraminidase - isolation & purification; Neuraminidase - metabolism; Orthomyxoviridae; Surveillance; Swine flu; Vaccines, antisera, therapeutical immunoglobulins and monoclonal antibodies (general aspects); Virology; Viruses; Diagnostic; Orthomyxoviridae; Identification; Surveillance; Human; Enzyme; Infection; Virus; Glycosidases; Viral disease; Exo-α-sialidase; Influenza; Hydrolases; O-Glycosidases; Subtype; ELISA assay
• ISSN: 0264-410X; 1873-2518
• DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2006.05.047

An ELISA assay was developed to allow the rapid and accurate identification of human influenza A N1 and N2 neuraminidases. Initial testing using a fetuin pre-coating of wells correctly identified 81.7% of the neuraminidase type from a series of human A(H1N1), A(H1N2) and A(H3N2) viruses. This result could be improved to detect the neuraminidase subtype of almost all human influenza A viruses from a large panel of viruses isolated from 2000 to 2005, if the fetuin pre-coating was removed and the viruses were coated directly onto wells. This method is simple, rapid and can be used to screen large numbers of currently circulating human influenza A viruses for their neurraminidase subtype and is a good alternative to RT-PCR.