Transforming Viral Sequences to A (H1N1) Flu Diagnosis: The Current Status and Future Prospects of rtPCR Based Assays

A variety of technologies can be used in the detection of contagious pathogens. In the early stage of an outbreak of a new infectious disease, rtPCR is advantageous over many other assays. The rtPCR can be developed either using low fidelity DNA polymerase or high fidelity DNA polymerase. The application of high fidelity DNA polymerase allows the shortening of assay development. In addition, the synthesized DNA template used as positive controls is suggested for shortening the time for assay development. Overall comparison of time required for assay development, specificity, and sensitivity for different types of molecular diagnostic technologies, it seems that early confirmation of viral infected patients will be diagnosed primarily with PCR or rtPCR-based assays presently and likely for the near future.