For Clinical Virology
Number 2November 2000
Clinical Virology, Department of Clinical Pathology,
Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio 44195
Increased workloads and short staffing continue to pose a challenge for clinical virology laboratories. In an attempt to
decrease both the hands-on-time and turn-around-time for rotavirus antigen testing, we evaluated three rotavirus antigen
detection assays on stool samples collected from April to September of 1999 in the clinical virology laboratory.
Our reference method, Premier Rotaclone Assay (PR) by Meridian was compared with two new assays, ProSpectT
Rotavirus EZ Microplate Assay (AT) by Alexon-Trend and ImmunoCard STAT! Rotavirus Assay (IC) by Meridian.
One hundred and eighteen stool samples (106 frozen, 12 fresh) were tested for rotavirus antigen using two solid phase
sandwich-type EIAs -AT(EZ Microplate Assay) and PR (Premier Rotaclone Assay) and one rapid Immunoassay - IC
(ImmunoCard STAT!). Tests were performed according to the manufacturers guidelines.
Both microwell EIAs have a 1 hr specimen/conjugate incubation followed by a 10 min incubation with substrate. The
development of blue color read visually indicates a positive result. The rapid immunoassay uses diluted stool sample
which is added to the sample-port of the card. After a 10 min incubation, the presence of a red/purple line in the test zone
indicates a positive result.
Of the 118 samples tested for rotavirus antigen, there were 2 discrepancies between AT and PR, and none
between IC and PR.
(test method)
(test method)
(reference method)
NEG
NEG
1
0
86
87
Sensitivity:97%(AT);100%(IC)
*Specificity:99%(AT);100%(IC)when compared with PR.
The three tests compare favorably in sensitivity & specificity. However, the IC assay is quicker and
easier to perform & interpret, thus offering a better alternative to the two microwell EIAs for detecting rotavirus antigen in
stool samples in the clinical virology laboratory.
(days at 4oC)
*AT assay requires spectrophotometry if the negative control shows any visible
color.
**Per one specimen and two controls.
death? PO’d?
R ic hard Jamis on, LSUHSC-S Medical Center, Shrevepor , LA
Your societyMAY be of help.Moving the Federal/State bureaucracy isNOT easy.Progressis frequently glacial, but it
CAN be done.
Over the last year or so, the American Society for Microbiology has been able to get several of the more nonsensical
regulationsconcerning clinical microbiological laboratory “controls” changed s o as to reflect“real life”.
Bycooperating with the ASM, itmay be that we can make our liveseasier also.But first (as always), we must collect data
(ascontrasted to “impressions”) of controls, reports, etc. which we feel are of no use to either ourselves or to the regulators.
I will bewilling to serve as the collection agenc y for matters in this arena.Please send me your concerns with a) regulating
agencies, b) regulationsand c) general problemsconcerning interpretationsof rulesrelating to clinical laboratoryprocedures.
I will compile these into a list which can hopefullyserve asthe basis for a survey of our membership.If the membership
can identifyGENERAL problems, it maybe possible to present these as topics for discussion and hopefully, resolution.
Any c ommentsto: Dr. R. M. Jamison, Dept. of Pediatrics , LSUHSC-S, 1501 King’sHwy., Shreveport, LA 71130.
Viral Diagnosis (EGRVD) and the European Society against Virus Diseases. The ESCV currently has 747 members, who
are from 34 countries within Europe (which includes Turkey and Israel) and 15 countries outside Europe.
The Society holds an Annual Meeting in September each year and hopes to combine with a local Microbiological or
Virological Society to hold winter meetings, usually in January. This gives members a wonderful opportunity to travel to
the different countries in Europe. During the last two years we have been to Rotterdam, Budapest, Stockholm and
Glasow.
Our latest meeting, European Virology 2000, was held in Glasgow, Scotland. The aim of this meeting was to bring
together basic and clinical virologists and it was therefore held in association with 20 national microbiological and
virological societies. It was a very successful meeting and attracted nearly 800 virologists from all over the world.
Next year we have meetings in Ghent, Belgium and Hahti, Finland. For further details see our website: www.escv.org.
Members of the PASCV are always welcome.
Members of the PASCV who do not subscribe to the Journal of Clinical Virology and did not attend the meeting in Clearwater
last year have the opportunity to receive a copy of the PASCV history supplement that Elsevier Science produced.
If you did not get a copy and would like one, please contact Hendrik van Leusen, Senior Publishing Editor,Life Sciences,
Elsevier Science B.V., P.O. Box 1527, 1000 BM Amsterdam, The Netherlands. He can also be contacted by telephone at +31 20
485 3852, by FAX at +31 20 485 3342 or by email at h.leusen@elsevier.nl.
Dr. Guadalupe Carballal has been elected as the new Latin American Correspondent. Dr. Guadalupe Carballal is professor of
Microbiology at the School of Medicine of the University of Buenos Aires and the Instituto Universitario CEMIC. Her current work
includes diagnostic virology and research on the epidemiology of respiratory syncytial virus and viral infections in
immunocompromised hosts.
Her publications include 34 papers in international journals; 51 in Argentinian journals and a textbook on Medical Virology in
Spanish in its 3rdeditions. We welcome Dr. Carballal to the PASCV Council and look forward to working with her.
We have a new list server that isaccessible via theweb.PASCV members can senda message, subscribe, unsubscribe,
enter a password, search and retrieve archived messages, and more.
The web access is:
http://koala.fhcrc.org:81/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?enter=pascv&text_mode=0&lang=english.
Note also that there is a new address tosend messages:pascv@fhcrc.org
Here are some of your choices:
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annual symposium:
Bion)
Larry Anderson, M.D. – Diagnostic Virology Award (sponsored by Becton Dickenson Microbiology Systems)
M. Smieja, S. Chong, M. Natarajan, J.B. Mahony, Dept of Pathology & Molecular Medicine, McMaster University,
RESPIRATORY VIRUSES IN RESPIRATORY SPECIMENS
M. Hindiyeh1,2, D. Hillyard1,2, and K. Carroll1,21ARUP Laboratories, Inc. &the 2Dept. of Pathology, Univ. of Utah Health
UREAPLASMA, VIRUSES AND CHLAMYDIA.
FREQUENCY IN INTUBATED INFANTS AND ASSOCIATION WITH PNEUMONIA AND BRONCHOPULMONARY
DYSPLASIA (BPD)
J. Kenny, K. Kalmus,G.Viola and A. Kopelman. Department of Pediatrics, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina
DURING AN H3N2 INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC
Linda Boney, Timothy Machala, Mary Kay Greene and James P. Luby, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical
DISEASE IN PEDIATRIC SOLID ORGAN TRANSPLANT PATIENTS
L. Carpentier, C. Alfieri, M-M. Mantha, B. Tapiero, F. Alvarez, and C. Viau, National Centre for Epstein-Barr Virus and the
AND ROCHE AMPLICOR CMV MONITOR ASSAY FOR THE DIAGNOSIS AND MONITORING OF CMV INFECTION IN
Caissie G., Shaw L., Huebsch L,. Diaz-Mitoma F. ,
CANADA
LOAD IN HIV-INFECTED INFANTS
George Kamkamidze, Timothy Sullivan and Tina Charbonneau, Wadsworth Center, Albany, NY
NOSOCOMIAL RSV INFECTION
Judith Lovchik,1T. Peret, Dean Erdman,2Eric Talley,1andMaury Mulligan1 ,University of Maryland School of Medicine,1
Baltimore, MD1and Atlanta, GA2
SIMPLEX VIRUS INFECTIONS
Teri K. Ross, Mark J. Espy, Rosaline Teo, Kathleen A. Svien, Arlo D. Wold, James R. Uhl, and Thomas F. Smith,
Mayo Clinic and Foundation, Rochester, MN
OUTBREAK IN ARGENTINA
Echavarría M.1,2, Villamea L.1, Videla C.1, Ebekian B.1,Carballal G.1
2Fundacion Renee Baron. Virology Laboratory,
Billinghurst 2447 (1425) Buenos Aires, ARGENTINA
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Pathology Department
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