Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a highly contagious and potentially life-threatening form of pneumonia. First identified in 2003, SARS is caused by a member of the coronavirus family of viruses and early diagnosis of SARS is extremely important for minimizing the morbidity and mortality of the disease. This technology allows for the rapid molecular detection of the SARS-associated coronavirus. By utilizing a specific non-coding region of the coronavirus genome, this technology describes a PCR-based approach that has enhanced specificity and sensitivity for SARS-associated coronavirus detection when compared to other polymerase gene-based assays.
Serum antibodies for SARS-associated coronavirus are rarely detected within 14 days after onset of the illness, delaying an official diagnosis of SARS. In contrast, PCR assays can easily detect positive sequences within 10 days of onset of illness. First generation PCR assays for the SARS-associated coronavirus were based on conserved regions of the polymerase gene in the coronavirus. This technology uses genetic signatures in a non-coding region toward the 3' end of the coronavirus genome which has been shown to be more sensitive in PCR assays. The higher sensitivity and specificity of this region has been confirmed with PCR assays performed in parallel with two other polymerase gene assays.
Patent Pending
Tech Ventures Reference: IR 1454