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Review
. 2011 Aug;9(8):615-26.
doi: 10.1586/eri.11.75.

PCR for detection of respiratory viruses: seasonal variations of virus infections

Sigvard Olofsson  1 , Robin Brittain-Long, Lars Magnus Andersson, Johan Westin, Magnus Lindh
Affiliations
Review

PCR for detection of respiratory viruses: seasonal variations of virus infections

Sigvard Olofsson et al. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther. 2011 Aug.

Abstract

Real-time PCR and related methods have revolutionized the laboratory diagnosis of viral respiratory infections because of their high detection sensitivity, rapidness and potential for simultaneous detection of 15 or more respiratory agents. Results from studies with this diagnostic modality have significantly expanded our knowledge about the seasonality of viral respiratory diseases, pinpointed the difficulties to make a reliable etiologic diagnosis without the aid of an unbiased multiplex molecular assay for respiratory viruses, and revealed previously unknown details as to possible infections with multiple agents as aggravating factors. The scope of this article is to review and discuss this new knowledge and its implications for diagnostic strategies and other measures essential for the clinical management of respiratory viral infections and for epidemiological surveillance of seasonal respiratory infections.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.. Schematic overview of respiratory virus seasonality.
Intensity of color represents number of positive detections. Blue: temperate regions, Northern Hemisphere. Green: temperate regions, Southern Hemisphere. Red: tropical regions. AdV: Adenoviruses; HCoV: Human coronaviruses; HMPV: Human metapneumovirus; IFA: Influenza virus A; RSV: Respiratory syncytial virus. See section ‘Seasonal distribution of respiratory viruses’ for references.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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