📄 Verification and diagnostic evaluation of the RealStar® Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (N gene) reverse transcription-PCR kit 1.0

© 2019 Future Medicine Ltd. Aim: We report the diagnostic evaluation of a confirmatory reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) kit targeting the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) N gene. Material & methods: 33 patient samples from two collections sites in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which were pre-characterized via real-time RT-PCR targeting MERS-CoV orf1a and upE, and were tested using the MERS-CoV N gene, as a confirmatory assay. This diagnostic procedure follows a two-step diagnostics scheme, recommended by the WHO. Results: 18/33 samples tested positive, 11/33 tested negative for MERS-CoV RNA and 2/33 showed uncertain results. Conclusion: The results suggest, that the Real. Star® MERS-CoV (N gene) RT-PCR kit 1.0 can be considered a suitable and reliable confirmatory assay in combination with the Real. Star MERS-CoV RT-PCR kit 1.0 according to the diagnostic scheme recommended by WHO.

keywords 🔗 syndrome coronavirus (1074) 🔗 reverse transcription (205) 🔗 respiratory syndrome (2004) 🔗 results suggest (206)

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