Influenza A/B RNA

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Influenza A/B RNA

Influenza RNA viruses cause a highly contagious respiratory illness that can occur in children or adults of any age.

Influenza A and B are the strains that most commonly infect humans, with subtypes of Influenza A H1N1 and H3N2 commonly circulating. H3N2 viruses can be associated with more severe disease and increased mortality.

Influenza occurs more often in the winter months and is spread easily from person to person. Complications of infection are more likely in the very young, older adults, pregnant women, and people who have certain health problems such as asthma or other forms of lung disease.

Rapid detection of influenza virus is important to guide effective treatment.

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Clinical Details

Influenza viruses are typically associated with infections of the upper respiratory tract causing mild to severe illness. Symptoms include fever, cough, headache, myalgia or malaise. Transmission is from person to person and is spread by aerosolization, droplet or direct contact with respiratory secretions. The incubation period is 1-4 days and the period of infectivity is 1-2 days before to up to 5 days of symptom onset.

Annual vaccination is advised in high risk groups. Information on the HSE National Immunisation guidelines can be viewed HERE.

Information and HPSC guidance on the treatment and prophylaxis of Influenza can be viewed HERE.

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At Enfer Medical, we have integrated a cutting-edge and fully automated WASPLab® (Walk Away Specimen Processor) that has significantly enhanced our testing capabilities to ensure the highest of quality when processing patient samples.

WASPLab® at Enfer Medical

Our entire microbiology workflow has been optimized using automation and highly sophisticated robots to ensure uninterrupted incubation for rapid bacterial growth and improved turnaround times for patients.

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General health and wellness testing can include a variety of tests, depending on the needs of the individual or recommendations of

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Sexual Health

Regular STI screening facilitates early treatment and reduces the long-term consequences of infection.

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Respiratory Health

Rapid early pathogen identification has important treatment and infection control implications. See our range of tests here.

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Hormonal analysis is hugely beneficial to identifying problems that can arise during the reproductive years.

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Sample Type &

Volume Required

Nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) placed in up to 3 mL of viral transport media, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) or sputum (collected in a sterile universal container).

Enfer Medical

Tests/Assays

The primary test for Influenza A/B offered by Enfer Medical is part of a respiratory panel, a qualitative RT-PCR assay which detects both Influenza A/B and RSV. This test is CE-IVD certified.

In addition to this assay, Enfer Medical also offers the Influenza A/B test as part of a larger extended respiratory panel which can be reviewed below. This test is CE-IVD certified.

Respiratory Panel Tests

The pathogens detected on this panel are:

Viruses	Bacteria
Adenovirus	Bordetella parapertussis
Coronavirus (229E, HKU1, NL63, OC43)	Bordetella pertussis
SARS-CoV-2	Chlamydia pneumoniae
Human Metapneumovirus	Mycoplasma pneumoniae
Human Rhinovirus/Enterovirus
Influenza A (H1, H3, H1-2009)
Influenza B
Parainfluenza Virus (PIV-1, PIV-2, PIV-3, PIV-4)
Respiratory Syncytial Virus

Patient

Request Form

For clients using the Enfer Medical Client Portal, the Enfer Medical Patient Request Form (PRF) will be generated when you have completed your “Test Request” within the portal linked below.

Enfer Medical Portal

Please note that samples suspected of containing high risk pathogens such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis should be clearly identified on the form and packed separately from other samples.

24 hours

Results are available next working day.

7 Days a Week

This assay is available seven days a week.

Packaging

The packaging/preparation of samples for delivery to the laboratory are required to be in adherence to all national regulations for the safe transport of biological materials. HSE guidance can be reviewed HERE.
There are specific packaging instructions and labelling requirements requiring triple packaging including:

Primary leak-proof container – tube or vial containing the sample.
Secondary watertight container, with absorbent material, intended to protect the primary container.
Outer container protects the secondary container.
Patient Request forms must be placed between the secondary container and the outer shipping container.

Further information on the packaging/preparation of samples for delivery to the laboratory is contained within the Enfer Medical Laboratory User Manual which clients are provided with.

Storage & Stability

Samples must be tested within 4 hours of collection if stored at room temperature. Samples must be tested within 3 days of collection if stored at 2-8°C.

Transporting
Samples

In addition to the packaging of samples, the transport/delivery of clinical samples to the laboratory is required to be in adherence to all national regulations for the safe transport of biological materials. Enfer Medical provides a fully compliant logistics service, aligned with clients’ testing requirements.

Prompt transport of specimens:
To ensure prompt testing of samples and release of results within the published test turnaround times, samples should arrive to the laboratory by 18:00. Test turnaround time is measured from receipt of the sample at the laboratory until the time the authorised results are reported to users.

Acceptance/Rejection
of Samples

In rare cases specimens may not be suitable for testing on arrival to the laboratory. In that case the sample will be rejected at the receipt stage and the service user will be notified immediately and an explanation as to why the sample could not be processed will be provided. Reasons why samples cannot be processed include but are not limited to:

Samples received beyond the stability limits and/or not at the correct temperature indicated for each test.
Incorrect sample type received.
Leaking samples, sample not received or sample insufficient for analysis as stated below within sample requirements.
Non-compliant samples or request forms i.e. those missing sample date information, missing sample test request and/or missing sample site/type information.
Samples received without the necessary patient identifiers.

Clients will be provided with guidance on Sample Receipt Anomalies.

Our Services

Service

Health & Wellness

General health and wellness testing can include a variety of tests, depending on the needs of the individual or recommendations of

Find Out More

Service

Sexual Health

Regular STI screening facilitates early treatment and reduces the long-term consequences of infection.

Find Out More

Service

Respiratory Health

Rapid early pathogen identification has important treatment and infection control implications. See our range of tests here.

Find Out More

Service

Reproductive & Female Health

Hormonal analysis is hugely beneficial to identifying problems that can arise during the reproductive years.

Find Out More

Service

All Services

View the full suite of services at Enfer Medical here.......

Find Out More

Result Values:

Qualitative results will be reported as:

Qualitative results

DETECTED
NOT DETECTED
INVALID

Please note that Influenza A/B is a notifiable disease under the Infectious Diseases (Amendment) Regulations 2020 (S.I. No. 53 of 2020) February 2020.

Please refer to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre for the Case Definitions for Notifiable Diseases:

HPSC Link

Accessing

Your Results

Following receipt at the Laboratory, results should be available on the next working day and will be reported to the referring clinician via the Enfer Medical Client Portal or in a format agreed with clients.

Client Login

Established client can login to the portal using the link above.