Rapid Detection of Influenza A & B: A Comparison of New and Existing Rapid Antigen Tests with Chip-based Real-Time PCR

Influenza, caused by the influenza A and B viruses, is a highly communicable respiratory disease with clinical manifestations ranging from mild, asymptomatic cases to severe complications, such as viral pneumonia and death.These complications are more common in individuals with underlying health conditions, weakened immune systems, and those at the extremes of age.Accurate detection of these viruses is vital for patient management and controlling the spread of infection.Several diagnostic tests, including rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) and molecular assays, are used to identify these viruses, with varying sensitivity and specificity based on the type of specimen and the time of symptom onset.This study aimed to compare the diagnostic performance of a new Influenza A&B rapid antigen test with the current commercially available Influenza A&B rapid antigen test and chip-based H1N1 RT-PCR.This retrospective cohort study was conducted from May to October 2023, using nasopharyngeal swab samples that were positive for H1N1 via RT-PCR.Results from both rapid tests were in 100% agreement.The performance of the evaluated Influenza A&B rapid antigen test performed better in samples with higher viral load.In instances where samples exhibit high viral loads (Ct<20) and medium viral loads (20Ct<25) as indicated by the equipment, the sensitivity was found to be 100%.Findings from the study suggest that while the rapid antigen test is a useful diagnostic tool for Influenza A, confirmatory testing with RT-PCR may still be necessary in cases of high clinical suspicion.