Van Poelvoorde LAE, Dufrasne FE, Van Gucht S, Sael. Development of Digital Droplet PCR Targeting the Influenza H3N2 Oseltamivir-Resistant E119V Mutation and Its Performance through the Use of Reverse Genetics Mutants. Curr Issues Mol Biol. 2023 Mar 17;45(3):2521-2532
The monitoring of antiviral-resistant influenza virus strains is important for public health given the availability and use of neuraminidase inhibitors and other antivirals to treat infected patients. Naturally occurring oseltamivir-resistant seasonal H3N2 influenza virus strains often carry a glutamate-to-valine substitution at position 119 in the neuraminidase (E119V-NA). Early detection of resistant influenza viruses is important for patient management and for the rapid containment of antiviral resistance. The neuraminidase inhibition assay allows the phenotypical identification of resistant strains; however, this test often has limited sensitivity with high variability depending on the virus strain, drugs and assays. Once a mutation such as E119V-NA is known, highly sensitive PCR-based genotypic assays can be used to identify the prevalence of such mutant influenza viruses in clinical samples. In this study, based on an existing reverse transcriptase real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) assay, we developed a reverse transcriptase droplet digital PCR assay (RT-ddPCR) to detect and quantify the frequency of the E119V-NA mutation. Furthermore, reverse genetics viruses carrying this mutation were created to test the performance of the RT-ddPCR assay and compare it to the standard phenotypic NA assay. We also discuss the advantage of using an RT-ddPCR instead of qPCR method in the context of viral diagnostics and surveillance.
See Also:
Latest articles in those days:
- T cell help is a limiting factor for rare anti-influenza memory B cells to reenter germinal centers and generate potent broadly neutralizing antibodies 20 hours ago
- Wild birds drive the introduction, maintenance, and spread of H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b high pathogenicity avian influenza viruses in Spain, 2021-2022 20 hours ago
- [preprint]FluNexus: a versatile web platform for antigenic prediction and visualization of influenza A viruses 21 hours ago
- Salpingitis and multiorgan lesions caused by highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus in a cat associated with consumption of recalled raw milk in California 21 hours ago
- Detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus 2.3.4.4b in alpacas 21 hours ago
[Go Top] [Close Window]


