Patent ID: 6015664
Filing Date: 2000-01-18
Classification: C12Q

Abstract:
A method of detecting multiple virus infection in a biological sample comprising the steps of(a) isolating nucleic acid from a biological sample,(b) exposing the nucleic acid or cDNA created from the nucleic acid to primer pairs specific for human parainfluenza virus-1, 2 and 3, respiratory syncytial virus A and B and influenza virus A and B sequences under conditions suitable for nucleic acid amplification, wherein the primers selectively amplify the virus sequence and not other sequences, wherein an amplification product is formed if the sample contains any of the viruses and wherein the amplification comprises the improvement of supplying 5' and 3' primers of unequal concentrations wherein the product is double-stranded PCR products, and(c) determining whether the amplification product is present by exposing the step (b) products to protein-linked oligonucleotide probes, wherein the protein is capable of binding to a solid support, under conditions suitable for hybridization between complementary nucleic acid sequences, binding the oligonucleotide to the solid support, and examining the probes for the presence of a hybridization product, wherein the oligonucleotide probes are of a sequence identical to a viral sequence.