Example 1
Samples are taken from nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) of patients presenting flu-like symptoms and the samples are each placed into approximately 3 ml of viral transport medium (for example M4, M4RT, M5, or M6 media (Remel), UVT media (Becton Dickinson), or UTM media (Copan)). Samples were refrigerated for transport at 2-8° C., and stored at that temperature for up to approximately 72 hours before processing. Samples which needed longer storage were stored at ≤−70° C. Nucleic acids were extracted from samples using standard laboratory methods to isolate nucleic acids (e.g., MagNA Pure LC System using the Total Nucleic Acid Isolation Kit (Roche) or the NucliSENS easyMAG System using the Automated Magnetic Extraction Reagents (bioMérieux)). A positive control sample is included which has a target sequence for each of the tested viral strains. That is, if the swine H1N1 influenza A virus is to be tested, a swine H1N1 influenza A virus target sequence is included. Here, the positive controls were pooled RNA transcript from a portion of an HA gene or of an NP gene for each of the subtypes of influenza. In addition, a negative control including the viral transport medium, but not including a target sequence, and Internal Controls were extracted alongside the samples.