Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41410437›Full record

ArticleThe Journal of infectious diseases2026

The Pandemic Respiratory Virus Epidemiological Surveillance Trial - A Self-swab Surveillance System for Respiratory Viruses Nested Within FluTracking.

Camille Esneau, David Boettiger, Sarah Leask, Nathan E Bryant, Natalie Niessen, Jodie McVernon, Adrian Marcato, Sandra Carlson, Stuart Browne, Rejoy Thomas and 7 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The Journal of infectious diseases, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

17 authors.

Camille EsneauInfection Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-5479-1851
David BoettigerInfection Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-5951-4503
Sarah LeaskData Sciences, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.
Nathan E BryantInfection Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.ORCID 0009-0008-2116-1512
Natalie NiessenInfection Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.
Jodie McVernonDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, the University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-9774-1961
Adrian MarcatoDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, the University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-5951-6886
Sandra CarlsonFluTracking Program, Population Health, Hunter New England Health Local Health District, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.
Stuart BrowneInfection Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.
Rejoy ThomasInfection Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.
Edward C HolmesSchool of Medical Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Krispin HajkowiczInfectious Diseases Unit, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-6990-0486
Lynelle TilbrookVirology Laboratory, NSW Health Pathology, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.ORCID 0009-0004-0727-8758
Nathan MoonVirology Laboratory, NSW Health Pathology, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.
Craig DaltonFluTracking Program, Population Health, Hunter New England Health Local Health District, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.
Nathan W BartlettInfection Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.
Joshua S DavisInfection Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-9864-5699

Funding

Australia's National Health and Medical Research Council 1195895Hunter Medical Research Institution Infection Research ProgramNSW Health's Medical Research Support Program
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of effective surveillance and early warning systems for respiratory viruses, but most current surveillance data focus on symptomatic individuals visiting healthcare facilities. Symptomatic and asymptomatic virus transmission in the community can both play major roles in the spread of respiratory outbreaks. We aimed to assess the feasibility of monitoring symptomatic and asymptomatic respiratory virus infection in a sample of community dwelling volunteers.

methodsThe Pandemic Respiratory Virus Epidemiological SurveillaNce Trial was nested within the ongoing FluTracking platform, which involves community-dwelling adults filling in a weekly online respiratory symptom survey. We recruited 52 FluTracking participants living in one Australian city to self-collect weekly nasal swabs and return them via post for a 50-week period. All swabs were tested for the presence of respiratory viruses using a 16-plex PCR panel. Results were correlated with weekly symptom surveys.

resultsA total of 2068 nasal swabs were received, corresponding to an 84% swab collection and return rate. Fifty-five samples (3.0%) were discarded due to delayed postage or sample leakage. At least one sample tested positive for virus in 231 of 2013 participant-weeks (11.0%), with 24.2% of these detections being in asymptomatic individuals. Rhinovirus (57.6% of positive swabs) and SARS-COV-2 (20.3% of positive swabs) were the most frequently detected viruses.

conclusionsRegular self-collected nasal swabs for detecting respiratory viruses in a community setting is feasible in Australia and provides valuable information on asymptomatic infection.

Indexed as

COVID-19Respiratory Tract InfectionsSpecimen HandlingVirus DiseasesAdolescentAdultAgedAustraliaEpidemiological MonitoringFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedSARS-CoV-2VirusesYoung Adultcommunity surveillanceFluTrackingrespiratory virusself-samplingsymptom tracking

Identifiers

PMID41410437
PMCPMC13127766

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.