VALIDATION AND DIAGNOSTIC APPLICATION OF NS AND HA GENE-SPECIFIC REAL-TIME RT-PCR ASSAYS FOR THE DETECTION OF 2009 PANDEMIC INFLUENZA A(H1N1) VIRUSES IN CLINICAL SPECIMENS

ABSTRACT

Real-time RT-PCR assays specific for the NS and the hemagglutinin genes of the 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus were developed and evaluated with clinical samples from infected patients. The tests are characterized by high sensitivity and specificity and performed well throughout the first year of the 2009 pandemic.