@article{mbs:/content/journal/jmm/10.1099/jmm.0.004358-0, author = "Ghebremedhin, B. and Engelmann, I. and König, W. and König, B.", title = "Comparison of the performance of the rapid antigen detection actim Influenza A&B test and RT-PCR in different respiratory specimens", journal= "Journal of Medical Microbiology", year = "2009", volume = "58", number = "3", pages = "365-370", doi = "https://doi.org/10.1099/jmm.0.004358-0", url = "https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jmm/10.1099/jmm.0.004358-0", publisher = "Microbiology Society", issn = "1473-5644", type = "Journal Article", abstract = "Nowadays, influenza antigen detection test kits are used most frequently to detect influenza A or B virus to establish the diagnosis of influenza rapidly and initiate appropriate therapy. This study was conducted to evaluate the performance of the actim Influenza A&B test (Medix Biochemica). Overall, 473 respiratory specimens were analysed in the actim Influenza A&B test and the results were compared with those from an RT-PCR assay; 461 of these samples originated from paediatric patients aged 7 weeks to 6.5 years either with influenza-related symptoms or from the intensive care unit, and 12 samples originated from adults with underlying lung or haematological diseases. Diagnosis of influenza A or B virus could be established using the actim Influenza A&B test (9/473 samples for influenza A virus and 6/473 for influenza B virus). RT-PCR revealed 23 patients with influenza virus (13/473 for influenza A virus and 10/473 for influenza B virus). The sensitivity and specificity of the actim Influenza A&B test were 65 and 100 % compared with the RT-PCR assay. However, 32 external quality assessment samples containing seven different strains of influenza A subtypes H1N1 and H3N2 and the avian H5N1 were detected correctly by the actim Influenza A&B test. No cross-reactivity to a range of bacterial, fungal and other viral pathogens was observed. In conclusion, the actim Influenza A&B test is reliable for positive results due to its high specificity. Nevertheless, negative results from this test need to be confirmed by a more sensitive assay because of the low sensitivity observed with diagnostic samples.", }