altona RSV PCR test kits — useful out of season and within the season

In 2020, social distancing, mask-wearing and handwashing contained the spread of coronavirus, but also other common cold viruses, influenza viruses and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Since the relaxation of these hygiene measures, respiratory viral infections have reached and even exceeded pre-pandemic levels. In the summer of 2021, an unusually high number of interseasonal RSV infections were reported leading to an increase of hospitalized infants and children worldwide.

The infection numbers are still high during the ongoing autumn season, for example in Germany. The German Robert Koch Institute reported that the number of severe acute respiratory infectious (SARI) cases continues to be at a very high level at the end of October, 2021: In 67 % of the SARI cases between 0 and 4 years of age, an RSV diagnosis was given. RSV is the most important cause of severe respiratory illness and the major cause of infantile bronchiolitis and pneumonia.

altona Diagnostics supports healthcare providers around the world with real-time RT-PCR tests for the detection of RSV, whether in out-of-season times or during the regular RSV autumn and winter seasons.

The RealStar^® RSV RT-PCR Kit 3.0 was developed for the rapid and reliable qualitative detection of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) specific RNA. It allows to differentiate between RSV subtype A (RSV A) and RSV subtype B (RSV B). This test can be run in parallel with other RealStar^® PCR kits including the RealStar^® Influenza S&T Kit 4.0, the RealStar^® hMPV Kit 2.0, and the RealStar^® PIV Kit 2.0. The ready-to-use kits including Internal Control and Positive Controls are CE-IVD marked and can be performed with the same PCR protocol on one PCR plate.

Find out more about the RealStar^® RSV RT-PCR Kit 3.0