PCR Screening and Typing, Toolset Expanded for Ebolavirus
|
By LabMedica International staff writers Posted on 19 Aug 2014 |
|
Image: Colorized transmission electron micrograph (TEM) revealing some of the ultrastructural morphology of an Ebolavirus virion (Image courtesy of Cynthia Goldsmith and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (USA; CDC ref# PHIL 1832), via Wikimedia Commons).
A new real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)-based assay for identification of the five Ebolavirus species and Marburgvirus has been added to the Ebolavirus diagnostics toolset.
altona Diagnostics, GmbH (Hamburg, Germany), focused on the development, approval, manufacturing, and marketing of molecular diagnostic test systems for the detection and quantification of pathogens, has added a real-time RT-PCR-based assay, the RealStar Filovirus type RT-PCR kit, for identification of the five known Ebolavirus species and of Marburgvirus to their product portfolio. In addition to other activities, altona Diagnostics was also among the first to make reliable diagnostic kits commercially available during outbreaks for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), avian Flu, swine Flu, and enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC).
Together with their already existing RealStar Filovirus Screen RT-PCR kit for first-line analysis, which is currently being used in the epidemic epicenter in West-Africa by the European Mobile Laboratory, altona Diagnostics now offers a comprehensive assay family for the detection and characterization of filovirus RNA from human sample material. While the screen kit detects all five Ebolavirus species without differentiation, as well as Marburgvirus, the typing kit is meant to be used as a second-line assay for confirmation of positive results and to distinguish between the five Ebolavirus species as well as Marburgvirus. Both kits are compatible with various real-time PCR platforms.
“For us, in the current situation during this epidemic outbreak, it´s more relevant that we were able to come up with a ready-to-use first-line test kit for filoviruses , which is now used in Guinea and Nigeria to identify infected patients and which is stocked by several European reference institutions under their preparedness plans,” said Dr. Markus Hess, chief scientific officer of altona Diagnostics, “The characterization of a positive sample by using the RealStar Filovirus type RT-PCR kit for Ebola and Marburgvirus is more of epidemiological and scientific importance.”
The ready-to-use real-time PCR kits for screening and typing of filoviruses are available as research use only reagents, currently. The In-Vitro Diagnostic (IVD) CE-marked version of the RealStar Filovirus Screen RT-PCR Kit will be available in September 2014.
Related Links:
altona Diagnostics
RealStar Filovirus RT-PCR kits
 Assay.jpg)
altona Diagnostics, GmbH (Hamburg, Germany), focused on the development, approval, manufacturing, and marketing of molecular diagnostic test systems for the detection and quantification of pathogens, has added a real-time RT-PCR-based assay, the RealStar Filovirus type RT-PCR kit, for identification of the five known Ebolavirus species and of Marburgvirus to their product portfolio. In addition to other activities, altona Diagnostics was also among the first to make reliable diagnostic kits commercially available during outbreaks for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), avian Flu, swine Flu, and enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC).
Together with their already existing RealStar Filovirus Screen RT-PCR kit for first-line analysis, which is currently being used in the epidemic epicenter in West-Africa by the European Mobile Laboratory, altona Diagnostics now offers a comprehensive assay family for the detection and characterization of filovirus RNA from human sample material. While the screen kit detects all five Ebolavirus species without differentiation, as well as Marburgvirus, the typing kit is meant to be used as a second-line assay for confirmation of positive results and to distinguish between the five Ebolavirus species as well as Marburgvirus. Both kits are compatible with various real-time PCR platforms.
“For us, in the current situation during this epidemic outbreak, it´s more relevant that we were able to come up with a ready-to-use first-line test kit for filoviruses , which is now used in Guinea and Nigeria to identify infected patients and which is stocked by several European reference institutions under their preparedness plans,” said Dr. Markus Hess, chief scientific officer of altona Diagnostics, “The characterization of a positive sample by using the RealStar Filovirus type RT-PCR kit for Ebola and Marburgvirus is more of epidemiological and scientific importance.”
The ready-to-use real-time PCR kits for screening and typing of filoviruses are available as research use only reagents, currently. The In-Vitro Diagnostic (IVD) CE-marked version of the RealStar Filovirus Screen RT-PCR Kit will be available in September 2014.
Related Links:
altona Diagnostics
RealStar Filovirus RT-PCR kits
Gold Member
Pharmacogenetics Panel
VeriDose Core Panel v2.0
New
Creatine Kinase-MB Assay
CK-MB Test
New
TRAcP 5b Assay
TRAcP 5b (BoneTRAP) Assay
Latest Microbiology News
- Molecular Stool Test Shows Potential for Diagnosing TB in Adults with HIV
- New Test Diagnoses Bacterial Meningitis Quickly and Accurately
- Handheld Device Delivers Low-Cost TB Results in Less Than One Hour
- New AI-Based Method Improves Diagnosis of Drug-Resistant Infections
- Breakthrough Diagnostic Technology Identifies Bacterial Infections with Almost 100% Accuracy within Three Hours
- Innovative ID/AST System to Help Diagnose Infectious Diseases and Combat AMR
- Gastrointestinal Panel Delivers Rapid Detection of Five Common Bacterial Pathogens for Outpatient Use
- Rapid PCR Testing in ICU Improves Antibiotic Stewardship
- Unique Genetic Signature Predicts Drug Resistance in Bacteria
- Unique Barcoding System Tracks Pneumonia-Causing Bacteria as They Infect Blood Stream
- Rapid Sepsis Diagnostic Test Demonstrates Improved Patient Care and Cost Savings in Hospital Application
- Rapid Diagnostic System to Detect Neonatal Sepsis Within Hours
- Novel Test to Diagnose Bacterial Pneumonia Directly from Whole Blood
- Interferon-γ Release Assay Effective in Patients with COPD Complicated with Pulmonary Tuberculosis
- New Point of Care Tests to Help Reduce Overuse of Antibiotics
- 30-Minute Sepsis Test Differentiates Bacterial Infections, Viral Infections, and Noninfectious Disease
Channels
Clinical Chemistry
view channel
AI-Powered Blood Test Accurately Detects Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian cancer ranks as the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women, largely due to late-stage diagnoses. Although over 90% of women exhibit symptoms in Stage I, only 20% are diagnosed in... Read more
Automated Decentralized cfDNA NGS Assay Identifies Alterations in Advanced Solid Tumors
Current circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) assays are typically centralized, requiring specialized handling and transportation of samples. Introducing a flexible, decentralized sequencing system at the... Read more
Mass Spectrometry Detects Bacteria Without Time-Consuming Isolation and Multiplication
Speed and accuracy are essential when diagnosing diseases. Traditionally, diagnosing bacterial infections involves the labor-intensive process of isolating pathogens and cultivating bacterial cultures,... Read more
First Comprehensive Syphilis Test to Definitively Diagnose Active Infection In 10 Minutes
In the United States, syphilis cases have surged by nearly 80% from 2018 to 2023, with 209,253 cases recorded in the most recent year of data. Syphilis, which can be transmitted sexually or from mother... Read moreMolecular Diagnostics
view channel
First-in-Class Diagnostic Blood Test Detects Axial Spondyloarthritis
Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune condition that typically affects individuals during their most productive years, with symptoms often emerging before the age of 45.... Read more
New Molecular Label to Help Develop Simpler and Faster Tuberculosis Tests
Tuberculosis (TB), the deadliest infectious disease globally, is responsible for infecting an estimated 10 million people each year and causing over 1 million deaths annually. While chest X-rays and molecular... Read more
Biomarker Discovery Paves Way for Blood Tests to Detect and Treat Osteoarthritis
The number of individuals affected by osteoarthritis is projected to exceed 1 billion by 2050. The primary risk factor for this common, often painful chronic joint condition is aging, and, like aging itself,... Read more
Hematology
view channel
First Point-of-Care Heparin Monitoring Test Provides Results in Under 15 Minutes
Heparin dosing requires careful management to avoid both bleeding and clotting complications. In high-risk situations like extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), mortality rates can reach about 50%,... Read more
New Scoring System Predicts Risk of Developing Cancer from Common Blood Disorder
Clonal cytopenia of undetermined significance (CCUS) is a blood disorder commonly found in older adults, characterized by mutations in blood cells and a low blood count, but without any obvious cause or... Read more
Immunology
view channel
Stem Cell Test Predicts Treatment Outcome for Patients with Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer
Epithelial ovarian cancer frequently responds to chemotherapy initially, but eventually, the tumor develops resistance to the therapy, leading to regrowth. This resistance is partially due to the activation... Read more
Machine Learning-Enabled Blood Test Predicts Immunotherapy Response in Lymphoma Patients
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has emerged as one of the most promising recent developments in the treatment of blood cancers. However, over half of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) patients... Read more
Pathology
view channel
Groundbreaking Chest Pain Triage Algorithm to Transform Cardiac Care
Cardiovascular disease is responsible for a third of all deaths worldwide, and chest pain is the second most common reason for emergency department (ED) visits. With EDs often being some of the busiest... Read more
AI-Based Liquid Biopsy Approach to Revolutionize Brain Cancer Detection
Detecting brain cancers remains extremely challenging, with many patients only receiving a diagnosis at later stages after symptoms like headaches, seizures, or cognitive issues appear. Late-stage diagnoses... Read more
Technology
view channel
Advanced Predictive Algorithms Identify Patients Having Undiagnosed Cancer
Two newly developed advanced predictive algorithms leverage a person’s health conditions and basic blood test results to accurately predict the likelihood of having an undiagnosed cancer, including ch... Read more
Light Signature Algorithm to Enable Faster and More Precise Medical Diagnoses
Every material or molecule interacts with light in a unique way, creating a distinct pattern, much like a fingerprint. Optical spectroscopy, which involves shining a laser on a material and observing how... Read more
Disposable Microchip Technology Could Selectively Detect HIV in Whole Blood Samples
As of the end of 2023, approximately 40 million people globally were living with HIV, and around 630,000 individuals died from AIDS-related illnesses that same year. Despite a substantial decline in deaths... Read more
Pain-On-A-Chip Microfluidic Device Determines Types of Chronic Pain from Blood Samples
Chronic pain is a widespread condition that remains difficult to manage, and existing clinical methods for its treatment rely largely on self-reporting, which can be subjective and especially problematic... Read moreIndustry
view channel
Cepheid and Oxford Nanopore Technologies Partner on Advancing Automated Sequencing-Based Solutions
Cepheid (Sunnyvale, CA, USA), a leading molecular diagnostics company, and Oxford Nanopore Technologies (Oxford, UK), the company behind a new generation of sequencing-based molecular analysis technologies,... Read more
Grifols and Tecan’s IBL Collaborate on Advanced Biomarker Panels
Grifols (Barcelona, Spain), one of the world’s leading producers of plasma-derived medicines and innovative diagnostic solutions, is expanding its offer in clinical diagnostics through a strategic partnership... Read more
