Clinical evaluation of multiplex RT-PCR assays for the detection of influenza A/B and respiratory syncytial virus using a high throughput system.

Background: Lower respiratory tract infections are a major threat to public health systems worldwide, with RSV and influenza being the main agents causing hospitalization. In outbreak situations, high-volume respiratory testing is needed. In this study, we evaluated the analytical and clinical performance of a pre-designed primer/probe set for the simultaneous multiplex detection of both viruses on a high-throughput platform, the cobas 6800, using the "open channel" of the system for integration of lab-developed assays for the detection of influenza and RSV.