Are you ready for the flu season?

Recently, the whole country?has entered the high incidence season of influenza, and the relevant departments of hospitals are overcrowded.

According to the latest issue of China's Influenza Monitoring Weekly (as of February 26, 2023) released by the National Influenza Center of China, the monitoring data shows that:

This week, the positive rate of influenza virus detection in the southern and northern provinces continued to rise, with A (H1N1) pdm09 predominating and A (H3N2) subtype influenza virus co-prevalent.?The percentage of influenza-like cases in southern and northern provinces continued to rise.?A total of 390 outbreaks of influenza cases were reported this week.?

From April 4, 2022 to February 26, 2023 (based on the experimental date), five strains (100.0%) of influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 subtype virus??similar strains of A/Victoria/2570/2019;?720 strains (78.3%) of influenza A (H3N2) subtype virus were similar strains of A/Darwin/9/2021 (chicken embryo strain);?593 strains (64.5%) were similar to A/Darwin/6/2021 (cell line);?753 strains (92.5%) of B (Victoria) were?similar to B/Austria/1359417/2021.

Since April 4, 2022, drug resistance monitoring showed that all influenza A (H3N2) subtypes and B strains were sensitive to neuraminidase inhibitors and polymerase inhibitors.

What is influenza?

Influenza?is an acute respiratory infectious disease caused by influenza virus.?The viruses causing seasonal influenza epidemics are H1N1 and H3N2 subtypes of influenza A virus and Victoria and Yamagata strains of influenza B virus.?Influenza is highly infectious and has the characteristic of "mutation", and constantly produces new subtypes. Compared with the common cold, it is more infectious and spreads faster, and its symptoms are more severe than the common cold, most of which are accompanied by high fever. The body temperature is often ≥ 38 ℃, and symptoms such as sore throat, cough and muscle ache are more severe.?Influenza vaccination is the most effective means to prevent influenza, which can reduce the risk of influenza and serious complications of vaccinators.?At the same time, maintaining good personal hygiene habits is an important means to prevent respiratory infectious diseases such as influenza.?Of course, rapid and effective influenza testing?is particularly important to distinguish whether patients have influenza.

Recommended influenza testing method

(1) Virus nucleic acid test: use RT-PCR (preferably real-time RT-PCR) method to test?influenza virus nucleic acid in respiratory tract samples (pharyngeal swabs, nasal swabs, nasopharyngeal or tracheal extracts, sputum).?The detection of viral nucleic acid has the best specificity and sensitivity, and can distinguish virus types and subtypes.

(2) Virus antigen detection (rapid diagnostic reagent detection): colloidal gold and immunofluorescence can be used for rapid antigen detection.?Because the sensitivity of rapid antigen detection is lower than that of nucleic acid detection, the interpretation of rapid antigen detection results should be comprehensively considered in combination with the patient's epidemic history and clinical symptoms.

(3) Serological detection: The dynamic detection of IgG antibody level in the recovery period is 4 times or more than 4 times higher than that in the acute period, which has retrospective diagnostic significance.

(4) Virus isolation and culture: to isolate influenza virus from respiratory tract samples.?In the influenza epidemic season, virus isolation is also recommended for patients with negative rapid antigen diagnosis and immunofluorescence test of influenza-like cases.

Among them, virus antigen detection (rapid diagnostic reagent detection) is relatively fast and convenient, and the detection results can be obtained within 15~20 minutes. Its use?in outpatient service is conducive to the circulation and timely treatment of patients.?The detection of virus nucleic acid has good specificity and sensitivity, and can quickly distinguish virus types and subtypes/strains. Real-time fluorescent RT-PCR is the main method for diagnosing influenza virus infection at present.

As a supplier of equipment and consumables for IVD enterprises, Kinbio?can provide a variety of one-stop production solutions for influenza testing?kits.?From conventional equipment to automatic?production equipment, they include?reagent solution coating,?laminating, cutting,?finished cassettes pressing, diluent filling, labeling and printing, aluminum foil pouch?packaging, box packaging and discharging final products. We can customize according to customers' production requirements?and provide relevant after-sales services.

Let's work together to escort a healthy life!