Assays for Determining the Sialidase Activity of Influenza Viruses and Monitoring Influenza Virus Susceptibility to Neuraminidase Inhibitors.

Three types of assays--colorimetric, fluorescent, and chemiluminescent--are used to determine the sialidase (neuraminidase: NA) activity of influenza viruses. The fluorescent assay is cost-effective and applicable for many laboratories and is, therefore, commonly used for global monitoring of the NA inhibitor susceptibility of influenza viruses. Here, I describe, in detail, protocols for the fluorescence-based NA activity assay and the NA inhibition assay, which are used to determine the NA activity and NA inhibitor susceptibility, respectively, of influenza viruses.