Microbiologist CDC Fort Collins, Colorado, United States
Abstract: Co-Diagnostics Vector Smart™ North American Mosquito (NAM) assays are RT-PCR multiplex tests marketed to mosquito control districts for the simultaneous detection of West Nile virus, St Louis encephalitis virus, and either Eastern equine encephalitis virus or Western equine encephalitis virus (NAM-e or NAM-w assay, respectively) in mosquito pools. We conducted an independent laboratory evaluation of these assays on a standard real time RT-PCR instrument and on the vendor’s CoDx Box™ Thermal Cycler platform. Validation was performed on a variety of samples, including laboratory-generated virus-spiked mosquito pools and field-collected mosquito pools. Mosquito pools processed in the Rapid Analyte Measurement platform (RAMP™) assay buffer were also tested to validate the NAM assay’s performance as a confirmation assay for that sample type. Sensitivity and specificity characteristics of the assay will be presented, as well as its technical, reagent, and equipment requirements.
