Real-Time PCR Test Identifies Aspergillus

A new test has been launched to assist medical and scientific professionals to identify Aspergillus, one of the most common causes of fungal pneumonia.

MycAssay Aspergillus is a real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test that accurately and rapidly identifies infections caused by Aspergillus.

Pneumonia caused by Aspergillus is the leading cause of infectious death in leukemia and bone marrow patients with an estimated 10 million people at risk globally each year. Diagnosis of Aspergillus infection followed by antifungal treatment within the first 10 days of infection reduces mortality from 90% to 40% highlighting the necessity of early, rapid diagnostic testing.

Myconostica (London, UK), a medical diagnostic company specializing in rapid molecular diagnostic tests for life-threatening fungal infections, launched the MycAssay Aspergillus test, which has gained CE marking.

Traditional methods used to identify Aspergillus infections are inaccurate, insensitive, and slow, with a result taking up to 10 days to obtain. When MycAssay Aspergillus is combined with Myconostica´s fungal DNA extraction system, MycXtra, a result can be obtained within 3 hours. This provides a rapid, sensitive, and specific alternative to the conventional techniques used to identify Aspergillus infections.

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