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. 2016 Feb 1;213(3):407-10.
doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiv331. Epub 2015 Jun 11.

Correlation Between the Interval of Influenza Virus Infectivity and Results of Diagnostic Assays in a Ferret Model

Kengo Inagaki  1 , Min-Suk Song  1 , Jeri-Carol Crumpton  1 , Jennifer DeBeauchamp  1 , Trushar Jeevan  1 , Elaine I Tuomanen  1 , Richard J Webby  1 , Hana Hakim  1
Affiliations

Correlation Between the Interval of Influenza Virus Infectivity and Results of Diagnostic Assays in a Ferret Model

Kengo Inagaki et al. J Infect Dis. .

Abstract

Background: The relationship between influenza virus infectivity and virus shedding, based on different diagnostic methods, has not been defined.

Methods: Three donor ferrets infected with 2009 pandemic influenza A(H1N1) underwent daily quantitative culture, antigen-detection testing, and real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Eight contacts were sequentially cohoused with each of the donors for 24 hours during days 3-10 after inoculation.

Results: Transmission was observed until day 5 after inoculation, corresponding to high culture titers and positive results of antigen-detection tests. Real-time RT-PCR showed no relation to the cessation of transmission.

Conclusions: Antigen-detection testing and virus culture but not real-time RT-PCR identified the end of the infectious period.

Keywords: PCR; antigen detection; culture; infectious period; infectivity; influenza; transmission.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Relation of culture-determined viral titer in donor ferrets to transmission. Each donor was intranasally inoculated with 106 50% tissue culture infective doses (TCID50) of A/Tennessee/1-560/09, and oropharyngeal swab specimens were collected over 14 days to determine viral titers. Contact ferrets were exposed to donors for 24 hours each and were changed daily from days 3 to 10 after inoculation of donors. At top is the time span during which contacts were infected, as confirmed by culture and seroconversion (dark gray) or by seroconversion only (light gray). The dotted line represents the lower limit of detection.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Relation of results of donor real-time reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis and antigen–detection testing to transmission. Oropharyngeal swabs were evaluated for real-time RT-PCR (plotted as raw cycle threshold [CT] values, inverted for ease of comparison) and antigen-detection testing. The dotted line represents the lower limit of detection. The shaded area represents the window of transmission, shown in Figure 1.
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