Author's response to reviews Title: Nasal swab samples and real-time polymerase chain reaction assays in community-based, longitudinal studies of respiratory viruses: the importance of sample integrity and quality control Authors:

Nasal swab samples and real-time polymerase chain reaction assays in community-based, longitudinal studies of respiratory viruses: the importance of sample integrity and quality control

BACKGROUND Carefully conducted, community-based, longitudinal studies are required to gain further understanding of the nature and timing of respiratory viruses causing infections in the population. However, such studies pose unique challenges for field specimen collection, including as we have observed the appearance of mould in some nasal swab specimens. We therefore investigated the impact o...

Comparison among nasopharyngeal swab, nasal wash, and oropharyngeal swab for respiratory virus detection in adults with acute pharyngitis

BACKGROUND Acute pharyngitis is frequently seen in primary care. Acute viral pharyngitis may be easily misdiagnosed as acute bacterial pharyngitis. Laboratory-confirmed diagnosis of respiratory viruses is recommended. The purpose of this study was to compare the sensitivities among oropharyngeal swab (OPS), nasopharyngeal swab (NPS), and nasal wash (NW) in adults with acute pharyngitis. METHO...

Development of Multiplex Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction for Simultaneous Detection of Influenza A, B and Adenoviruses

Background and objective:Millions of people in developing countries lose their lives due to acute respiratory infections, such as Influenza A & B and Adeno viruses. Given the importance of rapid identification of the virus, in this study the researchers attempted to design a method that enables detection of influenza A, B, and adenoviruses, quickly and simultaneously. ...

Author's response to reviews Title: Flocked Nasal Swab versus Nasopharyngeal Aspirate for Detection of Respiratory Tract Viruses in Immunocompromised Adults: a Matched Comparative Study Authors:

Development and Evaluation of Real-Time Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction Test for Quantitative and Qualitative Recognition of H5 Subtype of Avian Influenza Viruses

Avian influenza viruses (AIV) affect a wide range of birds and mammals, cause severe economic damage to the poultry industry, and pose a serious threat to humans. Highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAI) H5N1 were first identified in Southeast Asia in 1996 and spread to four continents over the following years. The viruses have caused high mortality in chickens and various bird species ...