Evaluation of the Binax NOW, BD Directigen, and BD Directigen EZ assays for detection of respiratory syncytial virus

The Binax NOW assay (Binax, Inc., Portland, Maine) and the BD Directigen EZ assay (Becton Dickinson and Company, Sparks, Md.), two new rapid immunoassays for detection of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), as well as the BD Directigen RSV assay (DRSV) (Becton Dickinson and Company) and direct immunofluorescence staining (DFA) were compared with culture for detection of RSV in fresh specimens from both children and adults during the 2002-2003 respiratory virus season. The majority (95%) of specimens were nasal or nasopharyngeal washes or aspirates. A total of 47 (26%) were culture positive for RSV. The overall sensitivities of DFA (n = 149), NOW (n = 118), EZ (n = 88), and DRSV (n = 180) compared with culture (n = 180) were 93, 89, 59, and 77%, respectively. The specificities of DFA, NOW, EZ, and DRSV were 97, 100, 98, and 96%, respectively. However, when results were separated into those from children and those from adults, DFA was the only rapid test adequate for detection of RSV (sensitivity of 100% compared to 0, 0, and 25% for NOW, EZ, and DRSV, respectively) in adults. For children the sensitivities of DFA, NOW, EZ, and DRSV were 93, 94, 72, and 81%. The NOW assay was the most sensitive and specific and the easiest to perform of the kit tests for detecting RSV in children. None of these three rapid kit tests was sensitive for detecting RSV in specimens from adults. DFA remains the rapid method of choice for detecting RSV in the adult population.