Analytical sensitivity of the Rapid Antigen Test kits for detection of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant BA.2 sublineage.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron was classified as a variant of concern in November 2021. The sublineage BA.2 spreads rapidly worldwide. Currently, there is a lack of data for the parallel comparison of Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) Kits to detect SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2. We evaluated the analytical sensitivity of 12 RAT kits to detect Omicron BA.2 in the present study. Analytical sensitivity was determined by means of the limit of detection (LOD). We prepared a dilution set using a respiratory specimen collected from a COVID-19 patient infected by Omicron BA.2. The reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was used as a reference method. The LOD results showed that all 12 RAT kits had comparable analytical sensitivity to detect Omicron BA.2. The RAT kits selected in the current study may be used for the first-line screening of the rapid spreading Omicron BA.2.

Evaluation of rapid antigen detection kits for detection of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617.2 virus.

Aim: Currently, there is lack of data regarding rapid antigen detection (RAD) kits to detect SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617.2 virus. Objective: The purpose of this evaluation is to assess analytical sensitivity of 12 RAD kits against SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617.2. Study design: Analytical sensitivity was determined by limit of detection (LOD). A serial tenfold dilution set from a respiratory specimen collected from a COVID-19 patient infected by SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617.2 was used. RT-PCR was used as a reference method. Results: The LOD results showed that 11 and one RAD kits were 100- and 1000-fold less sensitive than RT-PCR respectively. Conclusion: The results showed that the RAD kits evaluated in this study may be used for first-line screening of the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617.2 variant.

Molecular identification and characterization of two proposed new enterovirus serotypes, EV74 and EV75.

Sequencing of the gene that encodes the capsid protein VP1 has been used as a surrogate for antigenic typing in order to distinguish enterovirus serotypes; three new serotypes were identified recently by this method. In this study, 14 enterovirus isolates from six countries were characterized as members of two new types within the species Human enterovirus B, based on sequencing of the complete capsid-encoding (P1) region. Isolates within each of these two types differed significantly from one another and from all other known enterovirus serotypes on the basis of sequences that encode either VP1 alone or the entire P1 region. Members of each type were > or =77.2 % identical to one another (89.5 % amino acid identity) in VP1, but members of the two different types differed from one another and from other enteroviruses by > or =31 % in nucleotide sequence (25 % amino acid sequence difference), indicating that the two groups represent separate new candidate enterovirus types. The complete P1 sequences differed from those of all other enterovirus serotypes by > or =31 % (26 % amino acid sequence difference), but were highly conserved within a serotype (<8 % amino acid sequence difference). Phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that isolates of the same serotype were monophyletic in both VP1 and the capsid as a whole, as shown previously for other enterovirus serotypes. This paper proposes that these 14 isolates should be classified as members of two new human enterovirus types, enteroviruses 74 and 75 (EV74 and EV75).

Viral shedding patterns of coronavirus in patients with probable severe acute respiratory syndrome.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is thought to be caused by a novel coronavirus, SARS-associated coronavirus. We studied viral shedding of SARS coronavirus to improve diagnosis and infection control. Reverse-transcriptase PCR was done on 2134 specimens of different types. 355 (45%) specimens of nasopharyngeal aspirates and 150 (28%) of faeces were positive for SARS coronavirus RNA. Positive rates peaked at 6-11 days after onset of illness for nasopharyngeal aspirates (87 of 149 [58%], to 37 of 62 [60%]), and 9-14 days for faeces (15 of 22 [68%], to 26 of 37 [70%]). Overall, peak viral loads were reached at 12-14 days of illness when patients were probably in hospital care, which would explain why hospital workers were prone to infection. Low rate of viral shedding in the first few days of illness meant that early isolation measures would probably be effective.

High rate and changing molecular epidemiology pattern of norovirus infections in sporadic cases and outbreaks of gastroenteritis in Hong Kong.

Noroviruses (Norwalk-like viruses (NLV)) are recognised as major causes of acute gastroenteritis worldwide. Numerous studies had been carried out on the molecular epidemiology of norovirus in outbreaks but relatively few on sporadic cases. In this study, the molecular epidemiology of noroviruses in sporadic and outbreak cases of acute gastroenteritis in Hong Kong was examined over a 12-month period from July 2001 to June 2002. Specimens from three groups of patients were used in this study. Nine hundred ninety-five specimens from patients enrolled in the Acute Diarrhoeal Diseases Surveillance Programme of the Department of Health, Hong Kong Government; 735 clinical specimens from hospital patients with acute gastroenteritis, and 122 specimens from 44 norovirus outbreaks. Ninety-two (9.2%) surveillance specimens were positive for norovirus RNA by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), compared to 123 (16.7%) clinical and 101 (82.8%) outbreak specimens. For the first 6 months of the study period, the predominant strain was the Bristol strain that belongs to genogroup II (GII). In the latter 6 months of the study, genogroup I (GI) and strains belonging to other clusters of GII were seen more commonly. The vast majority of strains belonging to the Bristol virus cluster were closely related to the 95/96-US subset that was associated with pandemic infection from 1995 onwards. This study clearly establishes the importance of norovirus as a cause of sporadic cases of acute gastroenteritis in all age groups in Hong Kong.