Analytical performance of the automated multianalyte point-of-care mariPOC® for the detection of respiratory viruses

The analytical performance of mariPOC (R) respi test (ArcDia (R) Laboratories, Turku, Finland) was evaluated using nucleic acid amplification techniques (NAATs) as the gold standard. The mariPOC assay allows automated detection of antigens from 8 respiratory viruses: influenza A and B viruses, respiratory syncytial virus, adenovirus, human metapneumovirus, and parainfluenza viruses 1-3. Positive results from samples with high viral load are available in 20 min. Nasopharyngeal aspirates (n = 192) from patients with acute respiratory infection and from previously positive samples were analyzed by mariPOC and NAATs (Simplexa (TM) FluA/FluB & RSV kit [n = 118] and Luminex (R) Respiratory virus panel xTAG (R) RVP FAST [n = 74]). Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of mariPOC were 85.4%, 99.2%, 95.9%, and 97%, respectively, and 84.6% of positive results were reported in 20 min. The good analytical performance and extended portfolio of mariPOC show this rapid assay as a good alternative for the etiological diagnosis of acute respiratory infection in laboratories that are not equipped with molecular assays. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.