Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have developed an all-in-one test that can detect and identify almost any viral infection known to exist in humans and animals. This is a big statement, but researchers say they can back up their claim.
With the new test, called ViroCap, even very low levels of viruses, such as Ebola, Marburg and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) are picked up. The test is also capable of detecting rotavirus and norovirus, both responsible for severe gastrointestinal illnesses, reports Mother Nature News.
The study’s senior author, Gregory Storch, MD, the Ruth L. Siteman Professor of Pediatrics, said “With this test, you don’t have to know what you’re looking for. It casts a broad net and can efficiently detect viruses that are present at very low levels. We think the test will be especially useful in situations where a diagnosis remains elusive after standard testing or in situations in which the cause of a disease outbreak is unknown.”
Use of DNA and RNA sequencing
The test was developed in collaboration with the university’s McDonnell Genome Institute. Researchers analysed every known group of viruses infecting man and animals. They identified unique stretches or “probes” of DNA and RNA found in each virus.
The “probes” were then used to pluck out viruses from patient samples that were a genetic match. Further genetic sequencing narrows it down to a specific virus. According to a news release by the university, the new test is “just as sensitive as the gold-standard polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays, which are used widely in clinical laboratories.”
The university is making the technology they have developed available to scientists and clinicians worldwide for the benefit of science and humankind. The researchers do caution the test will require further study before it can be put into use by doctors around the world, and this may take a few more years.
The real excitement about this test stems from the possibilities for future use. Co-author Kristine Wylie, Ph.D., says, “It also may be possible to modify the test so that it could be used to detect pathogens other than viruses, including bacteria, fungi and other microbes, as well as genes that would indicate the pathogen is resistant to treatment with antibiotics or other drugs.” Now, wouldn’t that be something?
This important research was published in the peer-reviewed international journal, Genome Research on September 22, 2015, and is entitled, “Enhanced virome sequencing through solution-based capture enrichment.”