The ability to test a blood sample for all viruses in a single go, rather than one-by-one, could enable clinicians to tackle threats lurking inside patients they had no idea were present. This type of analysis may soon be a reality, according to a new study.
Many current tests are not sensitive enough to detect low levels of viruses in the bloodstream, and some are too specific, only returning positive results if the correct pathogen is sought out for the test.
"With this test, you don't have to know what you're looking for," Gregory Storch, MD, author of the study, said in a statement. "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."
The researchers evaluated the test in biological samples from patients at St. Louis Children's Hospital. A standard test had detected viruses in 10 of 14 patients, but the new diagnostic found viruses in the four children previously decleared virus-free. The standard test failed to detect traces of common pathogens, such as influenza, herpes virus 1 and the virus responsible for chickenpox.
In another group of children with unexplained fevers, a standard diagnostic found 11 viruses among eight children. The new test detected an additional seven, including a virus that sometimes causes severe infections in hospital patients.
The research was conducted at Washington University in St. Louis and the results were published in the journal Genome Research.