Qiagen has announced the launch of an Influenza A/H1N1 test and updates to its activities in providing solutions for the global surveillance of the swine-flu pandemic.
Qiagen's kit enables the sensitive and specific detection of the Influenza A/H1N1, the virus that causes swine flu, and all other known Influenza A and B virus strains.
It has been designed for use by governments and public health institutions as part of the efforts to identify and control outbreaks of pandemic A/H1N1 Influenza.
The Artus Influenza/H1 RG/LC RT-PCR Kit provides accurate results in approximately 40 minutes.
Qiagen's kit can detect infections with other known Influenza A and B strains likely to emerge and disseminate in the population during the flu season.
Designed for use with Qiagen's automated sample and assay technologies such as the thermo cycler Rotor-Gene Q, the test is also compatible with certain other platforms used in laboratories worldwide, allowing labs to quickly adopt and run it on existing instruments and without the need for additional training.
Peer Schatz, chief executive officer of Qiagen, said: 'With Qiagen's new test and our existing solutions to support Tamiflu/Oseltamivir resistance testing, we offer healthcare professionals powerful tools not only to quickly and reliably detect the origin of flu-like symptoms in patients, but also to profile the pathogen and thus to rapidly take the necessary actions to control an outbreak.' Qiagen provides a portfolio of solutions for the surveillance of the H1N1 pandemic, including two real-time PCR-based screening tests, a test which detects multiple different pathogens in one single run ('multiplex'), and protocols for resistance testing.
The company's solutions include individual sample preparation reagents, enzymes and instrumentation used by labs in testing protocols recommended by international health authorities, including the WHO and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
A test protocol for evaluating Influenza A/H1N1 variations is being widely adopted for H1N1 resistance testing against Tamiflu/Oseltamivir.
This protocol is based on Qiagen's 'Pyrosequencing' assay technology as well as the company's sample preparation technologies.