Hendra virus detection using Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification.

Hendra virus (HeV) is a zoonotic paramyxovirus endemic in Australian Pteropus bats (fruit bats or flying foxes). Although bats appear to be unaffected by the virus, HeV can spread from fruit bats to horses, causing severe disease. Human infection results from close contact with the blood, body fluids and tissues of infected horses. HeV is a biosecurity level 4 (BSL-4) pathogen, with a high case-fatality rate in humans and horses. Current assays for HeV detection require complex instrumentation and are generally time consuming. The aim of this study was to develop a Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) assay to detect nucleic acid from all known HeV strains in horses without the requirement for complex laboratory equipment. A LAMP assay targeting a conserved region of the HeV P-gene was combined with a Lateral Flow Device (LFD) for detection of amplified product. All HeV isolates, the original HeV isolated in 1994 as well as the most recent isolates from 2011 were detected. Analytical sensitivity and specificity of the HeV-LAMP assay was equal to a TaqMan assay developed previously. Significantly, these assays detected HeV in horses before clinical signs were observed. The combined LAMP-LFD procedure is a sensitive method suitable for HeV diagnosis in a resource-limited situation or where rapid test results are critical.