The subject invention pertains to materials and methods for detecting, preventing and treating retroviral infections in humans and other animals susceptible to infection by retrovirus. It has been discovered that FIV can be transmitted from cats to humans and that the FIV can infect human cells in vivo and that antibodies generated by the infected person cross-react with HIV antigens. Thus, the methods and compositions of the subject invention can be used to detect, prevent and treat FIV infection in humans and other non-feline animals that are susceptible to FIV infection. The methods and compositions of the invention can also be used to prevent and treat infection by HIV in humans.

Provided is an isolated binding protein including an antigen-binding domain that binds to NS1 protein. The isolated binding protein includes specific heavy chain CDRs and light chain CDRs. The binding protein can specifically recognize and bind to NS1, and has relatively high sensitivity and specificity, thereby achieving the detection of dengue virus. Moreover, the binding protein is not required to be produced by inducing hybridoma cells in mouse abdominal cavity, and thus it is simple in production and has more stable antibody function.

Methods of determining a presence of active primary cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection are described herein. The methods can include determining a presence or absence of anti-CMV IgG in a sample of a subject. The methods can include determining a presence or absence of CMV nucleic acids in a subsequent sample of the subject. Kits and product combinations useful for performing the methods are also described.

The present disclosure is directed to antibodies binding to and neutralizing norovirus and methods for use thereof. Thus, in accordance with the present disclosure, there is provided a method of detecting a norovirus infection in a subject comprising (a) contacting a sample from the subject with an antibody or antibody fragment having clone-paired heavy and light chain CDR sequences; and (b) detecting norovirus in the sample by binding of the antibody or antibody fragment to a norovirus antigen in the sample.

The invention provides a lateral flow detection device for detecting a coronavirus by immunoassay, wherein the detection device comprises two lateral flow test strips, a test strip 1 is used to test an antibody to a N full-length protein and/or a S full-length protein, while a test strip 2 is used to test an antibody to a S-RBD site protein, and a combination of the two test strips is used to test IgG and IgM antibodies to novel coronavirus, which further improves a detection rate of serological antibodies and effectively reduces a possibility of missing detection and wrong detection, thereby avoiding any missing detection.

Disclosed is a method for assisting prediction of exacerbation of respiratory infection, comprising measuring a biomarker in a specimen collected from a subject suffering from a respiratory infection or a subject suspected of having a respiratory infection, wherein the biomarker is at least one selected from the group consisting of IFNλ3, CCL17, CXCL11, IP-10, IL-6 and CXCL9, and a measured value of the biomarker is used as an index to predict exacerbation of the respiratory infection.

The methods of the present invention include noninvasive methods for the isolation of antibody-producing cells from the gut and the use of the cells so-isolated to generate antibodies responsive to biomarkers for a number of health conditions. The responsive antibodies are chimeric secretory antibodies comprising IgA and IgG moieties that may be useful in the diagnosis and treatment of various health conditions after challenged with biomarkers thereof. In a preferred embodiment, stool samples may be obtained from patients suffering from HIV infection and cells may be isolated from the samples according to the methods described herein and reacted with antibodies responsive to HIV biomarkers. The diagnostic methods described herein allow for room temperature sample isolation for up to five days prior to diagnosis and are useful in detecting latent HIV that cannot be detected in blood samples. It is another object of the invention to generate therapeutic antibodies.

An apparatus for detecting a biomarker comprises a droplet harvesting structure for converting breath vapor to a fluid droplet for forming a fluid sample and a testing system having a biomarker testing zone for receiving the fluid sample and detecting a biomarker. The droplet harvesting structure may include at least one of a hydrophobic field for receiving the breath vapor and forming the fluid droplet from the received breath vapor and hydrophilic channels for receiving the fluid droplet and channeling the fluid droplet towards the testing system. A fluid dam member may be provided disposed between the droplet harvesting structure and the biomarker testing zone.

An apparatus for detecting a biomarker includes a particulate capturing structure for receiving and capturing exhaled breath aerosol (EBA) particulate from airway linings of a user, the particulate capturing structure having an aerosol particulate testing system for receiving the captured particulate and detecting a first biomarker, wherein the aerosol particulate testing system includes a dissolvable EBA sample collector film for capturing EBA particulate. The apparatus may include a droplet harvesting structure for converting breath vapor to a fluid droplet for forming a fluid sample and a testing system having a biomarker testing zone for receiving the fluid sample and detecting a biomarker.

The invention is a novel and economical method for detecting infectious microbes, whether airborne or bound to surfaces. A microbe is any microorganism, especially a virus, or bacteria, or fungal spore of any kind. Every infectious microbe has a specific path or vector to invade the human body and cause disease. This inspection and detection method utilizes a real or simulated human cell enzyme coating to bind the target microbe to the sample gathering filter or swab. This greatly increases the sample gathering sensitivity to the target microbe.