Influenza Panel Includes H5N1

A test for influenza A and B now includes avian influenza H5N1 isolates in its list of influenza strains. The test has been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The test was developed by Binax Inc., a subsidiary of Inverness Medical Innovations (Waltham, MA, USA), and is called the BinaxNOW influenza A and B test. The test is a one-step, rapid test that is able to clearly differentiate between influenza A and influenza B in 15 minutes. Use of the easy-to-read test can help diagnose patients efficiently in the event of an outbreak of influenza.

A confirmed diagnosis helps healthcare workers to select appropriate treatments and to begin administration early in the process. Antivirals can reduce the severity of symptoms, shorten the duration of illness, and reduce the time during which patients can be infectious to others. Since the window of opportunity to begin antiviral treatment is only 48 hours from the onset of symptoms, these capabilities are very important.

Inverness Medical Innovations is a leading global provider of in vitro diagnostic products that is now exploring new opportunities for its lateral flow immunoassay and other proprietary technologies for various professional diagnostic applications.




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