The effect of fecal turbidity on norovirus detection by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction

Received 19 May 2008; accepted 5 August 2008. published online 23 October 2008.

Abstract

A 10-min fecal preparation results in greater specimen turbidity than a 45-min protocol, but reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) norovirus test sensitivity is essentially the same. Feces processed so that particle size does not exceed approximately 560 nm do not display greater norovirus RT-PCR inhibitory effects than those that have undergone greater purification.

Keywords: Turbidity, Feces, Norovirus, RT-PCR, Sensitivity, Inhibition

Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory, North Melbourne, Victoria 3051, Australia

Corresponding author. Tel.: +1-61-3-93422678; fax: +1-61-3-93422660.

PII: S0732-8893(08)00355-6

doi:10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2008.08.006

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