The invention relates to probes and assays which are used for the simultaneous detection, in a single assay sample, of a plurality of nucleic acid sequences of viruses that cause respiratory infections in humans, selected from among influenza virus type A, influenza virus type B, influenza virus type C, human respiratory syncytial virus type A, human respiratory syncytial virus type B, human adenovirus, human parainfluenza virus type 1, human parainfluenza virus type 2, human parainfluenza virus type 3, human parainfluenza virus types 4A and 4B, enterovirus, rhinovirus, human coronavirus type 229E, human coronavirus type OC43, coronavirus that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), human metapneumovirus and combinations thereof.