Extending the utility of the WHO recommended assay for direct detection of enteroviruses from clinical specimen for resolving poliovirus co-infection

OBJECTIVES: In a polio-free world there might be reduced funding for poliovirus surveillance. There is therefore the need to ensure that enterovirologist globally, especially those outside the global polio laboratory network, can participate in poliovirus surveillance without neglecting their enterovirus type of interest. To accomplish this, assays are needed that allow such active participation. RESULTS: In this study we describes a sensitive and specific utility extension of the recently recommended WHO RT-snPCR assay that enables independent detection of the three poliovirus types especially in cases of co-infection. More importantly, it piggy-backs on the first round PCR product of the WHO recommended assay and consequently ensures that enterovirologists interested in nonpolio enteroviruses can continue their investigations, and contribute significantly and specifically to poliovirus surveillance, by using the excess of their first round PCR product.