@article{fdi:010081516,
  title = {{I}mplementation of an in-house real-time reverse transcription-{PCR} assay for the rapid detection of the {SARS}-{C}o{V}-2 {M}arseille-4 variant},
  author = {{B}edotto, {M}. and {F}ournier, {P}. {E}. and {H}ouhamdi, {L}. and {L}evasseur, {A}. and {D}elerce, {J}. and {P}inault, {L}. and {P}adane, {A}. and {C}hamieh, {A}. and {T}issot-{D}upont, {H}. and {B}rouqui, {P}. and {S}okhna, {C}heikh and {A}zar, {E}. and {S}aile, {R}. and {M}boup, {S}. and {B}itam, {I}. and {C}olson, {P}. and {R}aoult, {D}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{I}ntroduction: {T}he {SARS}-{C}o{V}-2 pandemic has been associated with the occurrence since summer 2020 of several viral variants that overlapped or succeeded each other in time. {T}hose of current concern harbor mutations within the spike receptor binding domain ({RBD}) that may be associated with viral escape to immune responses. {I}n our geographical area a viral variant we named {M}arseille-4 harbors a {S}477 {N} substitution in this {RBD}. {M}aterials and methods: {W}e aimed to implement an in-house one-step real-time reverse transcription-{PCR} (q{PCR}) assay with a hydrolysis probe that specifically detects the {SARS}-{C}o{V}-2 {M}arseille-4 variant. {R}esults: {A}ll 6 c{DNA} samples from {M}arseille-4 variant strains identified in our institute by genome next-generation sequencing ({NGS}) tested positive using our {M}arseille-4 specific q{PCR}, whereas all 32 c{DNA} samples from other variants tested negative. {I}n addition, 39/42 (93 %) respiratory samples identified by {NGS} as containing a {M}arseille-4 variant strain and 0/26 samples identified as containing non-{M}arseille-4 variant strains were positive. {F}inally, 2018/3960 (51%) patients {SARS}-{C}o{V}-2-diagnosed in our institute, 10/277 (3.6 %) respiratory samples collected in {A}lgeria, and none of 207 respiratory samples collected in {S}enegal, {M}orocco, or {L}ebanon tested positive using our {M}arseille-4 specific q{PCR}. {D}iscussion: {O}ur in-house q{PCR} system was found reliable to detect specifically the {M}arseille-4 variant and allowed estimating it is involved in about half of our {SARS}-{C}o{V}-2 diagnoses since {D}ecember 2020. {S}uch approach allows the real-time surveillance of {SARS}-{C}o{V}-2 variants, which is warranted to monitor and assess their epidemiological and clinical characterics based on comprehensive sets of data.},
  keywords = {{SARS}-{C}o{V}-2 ; {C}ovid-19 ; {V}ariant ; {M}arseille-4 ; q{PCR} ; {D}iagnosis ; {M}olecular epidemiology ; {FRANCE} ; {MARSEILLE}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{J}ournal of {C}linical {V}irology},
  volume = {139},
  numero = {},
  pages = {104814 [4 p.]},
  ISSN = {1386-6532},
  year = {2021},
  DOI = {10.1016/j.jcv.2021.104814},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010081516},
}