Identification of respiratory viruses with a novel point-of-care multianalyte antigen detection test in children with acute respiratory tract infection

BACKGROUND: Rapid etiological diagnosis of a respiratory virus infection may have impact on antiviral and antibiotic therapy, patient cohorting, and prediction of the clinical course. Most point-of-care tests for detection of respiratory viruses have limitations in diagnostic performance and clinical usability. A novel, multianalyte point-of-care antigen detection test system (mariPOC(®); ArcDia International Oy Ltd., Turku, Finland) detects eight respiratory viruses (influenza A and B viruses, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), adenovirus, human metapneumovirus, and parainfluenza type 1, 2, and 3 viruses) from a single nasopharyngeal swab specimen by a fully automated, random-access immunoassay method. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate mariPOC(®) point-of-care test system in comparison with reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in a pediatric emergency department setting. STUDY DESIGN: Prospectively collected samples from 158 children (mean age, 1.8 years) with respiratory symptoms and/or fever were analyzed both by mariPOC(®) and by multiplex RT-PCR. RESULTS: The sensitivities and specificities (95% confidence intervals) of the mariPOC(®) test were for influenza A (n = 7), 71% (38–100) and 100%; influenza B (n = 22), 86% (72–100) and 98% (95–100); RSV (n = 35), 89% (78–99) and 100%; adenovirus (n = 12), 25% (1–50) and 97% (95–99); and for human metapneumovirus (n = 8), 50% (15–85) and 100%, respectively. Parainfluenzaviruses were detected only in five patients. CONCLUSIONS: This novel point-of-care test system is a rapid, practical, and specific method for simultaneous detection of eight respiratory viruses. Compared with RT-PCR, its sensitivity is moderately high for detection of RSV and influenza viruses, and low for adenovirus.