Enhanced detection of respiratory viruses using the shell vial technique and monoclonal antibodies

The shell vial technique using A549 and MDCK cells, coupled with the use of Bartels respiratory viral monoclonal antibodies, was evaluated initially for the detection of 28 previously isolated respiratory viruses. All viruses were recovered and correctly identified. The shell vial-monoclonal antibody technique was then evaluated for virus isolation from 338 respiratory specimens and compared with the conventional tube method. Both methods gave rise to a total of 83 virus isolates. Of these isolates, 68 (20.1%) were isolated and identified by the shell vial-monoclonal method; 60 (17.8%) were culture-positive by the conventional tube method; forty-five (13.3%) were positive by both methods. The shell vial-monoclonal antibody method yielded 12 isolates of influenza A, two isolates of parainfluenza type 3 and one each of parainfluenza types 1 and 3, which were missed by the conventional tube method, indicating the superior sensitivity and specificity of the shell vial-monoclonal antibody method (Chi-square analysis, P = 0.001) for the detection of these viruses. Of the 50 RSV isolates, 29 were detected by both methods and there were 21 discrepancies between the two methods. The shell vial-monoclonal antibody method also improved the turn-around time for the respiratory virus groups.