Viral Gastroenteritis Panel Detects Norovirus in Two Hours

By Labmedica staff writers
Posted on 30 Jan 2008
New rapid enzyme immunoassays can be used to detect the four leading causes of viral gastroenteritis: Norovirus, Rotavirus, astrovirus, and adenovirus, in human stool samples.
Detection of Norovirus is of particular concern due to a rapid increase in its activity in Europe and the United States.

Rapid identification of the etiologic agent combined with appropriate infection control procedures can help to reduce the impact of Norovirus outbreaks in the institution involved. The IDEIA Norovirus immunoassay allows the virus to be detected in stool samples within just two hours.

Each IDEIA viral gastroenteritis kit follows the same standardized protocol and is suitable for manual or automated testing. The assays are quick and easy to perform, either individually or in a panel using a single sample dilution. Sensitive and specific results are read photometrically.

Barbara Fallowfield, marketing manager, Oxoid (Basingstoke, UK), the company that launched the IDEIA Norovirus kit commented, "The sooner the cause of gastroenteritis outbreaks can be detected, the sooner infection control procedures can be put in place to stop the spread of disease and limit the damage. IDEIA Norovirus provides rapid and reliable results that are of enormous value to those involved in the investigation and prevention of Norovirus outbreaks, including microbiology laboratories, infection control teams, surveillance teams, and cruise ship operators.


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