Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Antigen, Long Strain

Molecular Biology / MB-Infectious Disease

-70°C

Supplied as a liquid in PBS.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is so named from the formation of syncytia, or multinucleated masses of fused cells. Two virally specified surface glycoproteins are prominent in RSV. The large glycoprotein is designated G and the other fusion protein is designated F. In addition, two distinct groups may be present in RSV, Group A and/or Group B.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is the most important cause of pneumonia and bronchiolitis in infants and small children(1, 2). Like the other respiratory viruses, RSV causes a range of respiratory illness, the most common being a cold with profuse rhinorrhea. RSV infections appear in large outbreaks every winter. RSV is very contagious, and most children have experienced infection by 2 years of age. Immunity to RSV does not prevent re-infections. Re-infections tend to be less severe than primary infections and occur throughout life. RSV also can be an unusual cause of significant respiratory illness in normal and elderly adults. In normal infants and children, the virus is shed for 2 to 3 weeks overall or 1 to 2 weeks after the children appear in the hospital(3). ecause of its high infectivity and because hospital staff as well as patients are susceptible, RSV has emerged as the most frequent cause of infections on pediatric wards(4).

Various RSV differences between strains are probably of little or no practical importance from a diagnostic point of view, since available reagents, including monoclonal antibodies, react equally with all clinical isolates. RSV is recovered almost exclusively from the respiratory tract. The specimens containing the most abundant virus are secretions obtained early in the course of the illness.

In general, it is more satisfactory to make a specific diagnosis of RSV infection by recovery of the virus (or identification by rapid methods) from a properly obtained and handled secretion specimen than by serological methods. Serological methods are often of secondary importance, although in large studies they may give valuable information, and in individual instances in which cultures were not obtained they may be well worth performing.

Product Description:
RSV Grade 2 Antigen. Produced from RSV-infected FRhK cells.

Inactivation:
Inactivated with UV light

Infectivity:
Negative (Negative infectivity for RSV virus is defined as the inability of an inactivated virus preparation to produce cytopathic effects (CPE) after seven days of incubation on a monolayer of FRhK cells.

Storage and Stability:
For long-term storage, aliquot and store at -70°C. Aliquots are stable for 6 months after receipt at -70°C. For maximum recovery of product, centrifuge the original vial after thawing and prior to removing the cap. Further dilutions can be made in assay buffer.