Catalogue References : KMG

Losses of target virus can occur at several stages during sample virus concentration and RNA extraction. To control for theses losses, samples are spiked prior to processing with a define amount of a process control virus. The level of recovery of the process control virus should be determined for each sample. To meet this need, CEERAM has developed the extraction control kit mengo@ceeramToolsâ„¢. This RT-PCR kit contains the Mengo virus strain VMC0 in a known quantity and specific primers and probes for this virus.

Mengo virus is a murine virus of the Picornaviridae family used for the control of blood products. Mengo virus strain MC0 is a recombinant virus, non pathogenic and culturable. This virus has structural and physico-chemical properties close to those of hepatitis A virus.

It is a non enveloped virus with a single strand RNA. It has resistance properties in environment close to those of targeted viruses, should not be expected to occur in naturally matrices under test while being genetically distinct from the target viruses in order to be able to be differentiated. Hence Mengo virus MC0 is a good morphologic, physicochemical and genetic model for the targeted viruses.

By adding a known quantity of mengo virus in each sample prior any processing, it is possible to define an extraction efficiency for each sample after amplification by real time RT-PCR and comparison with an equal quantity of Mengo virus purified from cell culture. The inhibition could be evaluated thanks to this model by analysing RNA sample extracts pure and diluted.