A Broader Approach to Virus Surveillance

A UK-led study has demonstrated the effectiveness of microfluidic quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) in detecting 21 respiratory viruses in children with influenza-like illness in The Gambia.

The study analyzed 158 samples collected during the follow-up phase of a live-attenuated influenza vaccine trial in children aged 24–59 months. Using microfluidic qPCR, researchers identified at least one virus in 76.6 percent of samples. Rhinovirus (23.4 percent) and adenovirus (21.5 percent) were the most frequently detected, followed by parainfluenza virus 3, influenza B, and human metapneumovirus B. Co-infections were common, with nearly one-third of positive samples containing multiple viruses, such as rhinovirus and adenovirus.

Compared with conventional qPCR methods, microfluidic qPCR demonstrated several advantages, including reduced sample and reagent volumes, faster processing, and lower contamination risk. The technique allows simultaneous detection of multiple targets, achieving high throughput with 4,608 individual qPCR reactions per run. This capability is particularly valuable for identifying co-infections and detecting less commonly tested viruses.

The study also examined the seasonal distribution of viruses. Rhinovirus and adenovirus were most prevalent during the dry season, while influenza and human metapneumovirus peaked during the rainy season. Notably, the researchers observed a significant proportion of samples with no detected virus, suggesting potential gaps in viral targets or non-viral causes of influenza-like illness.

Microfluidic qPCR’s scalability, cost-effectiveness, and adaptability make it a promising tool for expanding viral surveillance, particularly in low-resource settings. The researchers emphasized its potential for rapidly responding to emerging pathogens with pandemic potential. Future work aims to validate the method further and explore its application for broader public health monitoring and vaccine development.