• TangJulian W TJWDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, Molecular Diagnosis Centre, National University Hospital, Singapore. jwtang49@hotmail.com, Chun Kiat Lee, Hong Kai Lee, Tze Ping Loh, Lily Chiu, Paul A Tambyah, and Evelyn S C Koay.
• Department of Laboratory Medicine, Molecular Diagnosis Centre, National University Hospital, Singapore. jwtang49@hotmail.com
• Ann Acad Med Singap. 2010 Apr 1; 39 (4): 291294291-4.

IntroductionSince the emergence of the pandemic influenza A/H1N1/2009 virus in April 2009, diagnostic testing in many countries has revealed the rapid displacement and then replacement of circulating seasonal influenza viruses by this novel virus.Materials And MethodsIn-house seasonal and pandemic influenza-specific polymerase chain reaction assays were introduced and/or developed at the Molecular Diagnosis Centre (MDC) at the National University Hospital (NUH), Singapore. These assays have been used to test all samples received from in-patients, out-patients, staff and visitors for suspected pandemic influenza A/H1N1/2009 infection.ResultsPrior to the arrival of the pandemic A/H1N1/2009 virus in Singapore at the end of May 2009, seasonal influenza A/H3N2 predominated in this population, with very little seasonal influenza A/H1N1 and B viruses detected. Within about 1 month of its arrival in Singapore (mainly during June to July 2009), this pandemic virus rapidly displaced seasonal influenza A/H3N2 to become the predominant strain in the Singaporean population served by MDC/NUH.ConclusionsRealtime molecular techniques have allowed the prompt detection of different influenza subtypes during this current pandemic, which has revealed the displacement/replacement of previously circulating seasonal subtypes with A/H1N1/2009. Although some of this may be explained by immunological cross-reactivity between influenza subtypes, more studies are required.

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