[Laboratory diagnosis of respiratory syncytial virus infection]

We study 18 children with acute respiratory infection diagnosed early by direct immunofluorescence (DIF) using monoclonal antibodies to synticial respiratory virus (SRV). Antibodies to adenovirus, influenza virus A and B, parainfluenza virus 1, 2 and 3, mycoplasma, Q fever, herpes and cytomegalovirus (CMV) are also studied. We consider that in most cases the diagnosis of infections caused by SRV cannot be established by complement fixation, and should be accompanied by some antigen detection technique. Direct immunofluorescence facilitates the early detection of SRV in most cases before the appearance of antibodies to this virus. Only one of the 18 patients with positive DIF presented antibodies to SRV.