The test measures the ribonucleic acid (RNA) of the Flu A/B virus and RSV. The test amplifies a sample of the viruses and this helps to detect even the small traces of the viruses.

Description

Respiratory Syncytial virus (RSV) is a negative-sense, single-stranded RNA virus of the Pneumoviridae family. It is a common virus causing respiratory illness which can be severe or life threatening to infants and immune-compromised people.

Influenza A and B (FluA and FluB, respectively) are two most common species of Influenza which circulate among human populations. Influenza has a negative-sense, single-stranded RNA genome that is segmented. This contributes to Influenza A and B’s higher rates of antigenic drift and antigenic shift of its genome, making it difficult to defend against. It can cause mild to severe symptoms in humans and is especially dangerous for infants and the immunocompromised.

This test uses real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) to qualitatively detect Flu A, Flu B, and RSV.