New Normal: Surveillance and Epidemiology of Severe Acute Respiratory Pathogens using Seegene Novaplex™ Respiratory Multiplex PCR

Speaker: Dr. Anna Strain, Ph.D, Infectious Disease Laboratory, Minnesota Department of Health
Date: AMP 2022, November 01, 2022

In the United States, population-based surveillance for hospitalized cases of laboratory-confirmed influenza is conducted in 14 sites. However, surveillance for other causes of severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) is not well established. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) participates in ongoing hospital-based surveillance to characterize and monitor SARI.  Surveillance effort for SARI aids in understanding the burden and etiology of circulating respiratory infections. MDH receives residual specimens when clinicians order testing, the number of specimens received reflects a clinician’s decision to test.  The present study will discuss the SARI program within the MDH and compare testing methods, including the unique multiplexing capabilities for Seegene’s respiratory virus panels, for the detection of circulating respiratory viruses and atypical pneumonia pathogens.