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Respiratory Virus Panel
Detects 9 viruses and 12 subtypes
PeaceHealth Laboratories offers an FDA-approved Respiratory Virus Panel (order code 58375) from Luminex. With a single reaction, the panel detects 9 viruses and their subtypes.
Viruses included in the panel
| Virus Name | Description |
| Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) A & B | Most common cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia in infants and children |
| Influenza A(H1, H3 and non-specific Influenza A) | Causes the majority of flu cases in the United States |
| Influenza B | |
| Parainfluenza 1 | Causes upper or lower respiratory infections in adults and children and is responsible for 50% of croup cases and 10-15% of bronchiolitis and bronchitis cases |
| Parainfluenza 2 | |
| Parainfluenza 3 | |
| Human Metapneumovirus | Recently discovered virus that causes disease in children and the elderly |
| Rhinovirus | A cause of the common cold and may be implicated in more serious infections |
| Adenovirus | Causes approximately 10% of respiratory infections; Certain subtypes can cause outbreaks |
Benefits of respiratory virus panel testing
- Allows appropriate treatment of influenza
Current research shows that for every six hours earlier that treatment was initiated, duration of the illness was 10 hours shorter. Early treatment also reduces the duration of fever, severity of symptoms and shortens the time to return to normal health. - Helps manage costs
- Improves antibiotic stewardship
Studies indicate that of 41 million antibiotic prescriptions, 22.6 million (55%) were estimated to have been prescribed for infections unlikely to have a bacterial etiology. Quick and accurate diagnosis results in decreases in the duration of hospital stays and days of antibiotic use, and reduces the number of additional microbiological investigations requested. Reduction in the duration of hospital stays alone was estimated to save 18% of pediatric hospital costs. - Provides better infection control
Early identification of the causative agent allows timely implementation of measures to interrupt transmission and optimize therapy, and can potentially decrease the burden of outbreaks in geriatric hospitals and long-term care facilities.