Simplexa™ Flu A/B & RSV Direct Gen II Kit

Influenza (flu) is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. It can cause mild to severe illness. Serious outcomes of flu infection can result in hospitalization or death. Older people, young children, and people with certain existing maladies, are at high risk of serious flu complications. There are two main types of flu virus: Types A and B.

Influenza A viruses are the only influenza viruses known to cause flu pandemics.¹ A pandemic can occur when a new and very different influenza A virus emerges that both infects people and has the ability to spread efficiently between people. While there are potentially 198 different influenza A subtype combinations, only 131 subtypes have been detected in nature.¹ Current subtypes of influenza A viruses that routinely circulate in people include: A(H1N1) and A(H3N2).¹

Influenza B viruses are not divided into subtypes, rather they are further classified into two lineages: B/Yamagata and B/Victoria.¹ Influenza B viruses generally change more slowly in terms of their genetic and antigenic properties than influenza A viruses and therefore typically have a slower circulation.² However, the proportion of influenza B viruses that circulate can vary by geographic location.

RSV is a contagious illness that infects the respiratory tract and can lead to more severe infections like pneumonia or bronchiolitis. In older children, RSV can resemble a bad cold, but in babies it’s sometimes a serious illness — particularly for those with other medical conditions such as asthma, or those who were born prematurely. RSV infections can also be dangerous for certain adults. Adults at highest risk for severe RSV infection include those 65 years and older, those with chronic heart or lung disease and those with compromised immune systems.

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Types of Influenza Viruses. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/viruses/types.htm

2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Antigenic Characterizations. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/professionals/antigenic.htm

A CLIA moderate complexity assay with the most comprehensive strain coverage (over 100 strains) that ensures high performance and provides improved efficiency with a true sample-to-answer workflow without RNA extraction.