Pan-Enterovirus Blend is an indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) screening reagent for the preliminary identification of enteroviruses from cell culture and not intended for testing directly on human specimens. It may be used as an in vitro diagnostic test.

The method is simple: monoclonal antibodies in the reagent bind to Enterovirus-infected cells and unbound monoclonal antibody is removed by rinsing with phosphate buffered saline (PBS). A secondary fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled antibody is then added which binds to the antigen-antibody complex. Unbound secondary antibody is removed by rinsing with PBS and the resultant complex is visualized by fluorescence microscopy. Uninfected cells stain a dull red if Evans blue counter stain is used in the FITC-labeled secondary antibody or elsewhere in the procedure.

The “gold standard” for typing Enterovirus isolates is neutralization with type-specific pools of immune sera. This method is time consuming (7 days or more) and expensive. As an alternative, a presumptive identification of an Enterovirus may be made by screening culture isolates with an immunofluorescent screening reagent. The isolate can then be further identified by the use of type-specific monoclonal antibodies and/or group-specific monoclonal antibody pool(s) by indirect immunofluorescence.

The predominant site of Enterovirus replication is the human alimentary tract where they were first isolated from enteric specimens. There are 67 numbered types of enteroviruses in the Enterovirus family: 3 polioviruses, 23 coxsackieviruses A, 6 coxsackieviruses B, 31 echoviruses, and 4 other enteroviruses. These viruses cause a wide variety of disease ranging from paralytic poliomyelitis, aseptic meningitis-encephalitis, myocarditis, pleurodynia, hand-foot-and-mouth disease, conjunctivitis, and numerous other syndromes associated with extra-intestinal target organs.

The kit is a product of Light Sciences Millipore (Billerica, MA, USA).

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