Oxoid IDEIA Kit Allows Rapid Diagnosis Of Norovirus

Main Category: Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses
Also Included In: GastroIntestinal / Gastroenterology;  Medical Devices / Diagnostics
Article Date: 04 Dec 2008 - 2:00 PST

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Oxoid, a world leading microbiology brand, offers a convenient enzyme immunoassay for the rapid and reliable detection of norovirus, the virus responsible for 'winter vomiting disease'. IDEIA™ Norovirus provides sensitive and specific results in less than 2 hours, allowing outbreaks to be identified quickly and enabling appropriate measures to contain the outbreak to be initiated at the earliest opportunity.

Already, there have been several outbreaks of norovirus this winter, in the UK and abroad, affecting hospitals in Norfolk and Somerset1,2, where wards have been closed to visitors and new admissions in an attempt to halt the spread of infection Norovirus has also been found on a cruise ship on the Rhine3, resulting in the hospitalization of elderly holidaymakers.

Norovirus is extremely infectious and can spread rapidly throughout an institution. It is particularly common in semi-closed environments, such as hospitals, nursing homes, schools and cruise ships, where there is a high concentration of people who are susceptible to infection, namely children, the elderly and those with underlying disease. Timely identification of the etiological agent, combined with appropriate infection control procedures, can help to reduce the impact of norovirus outbreaks4.

IDEIA Norovirus is quick and easy to perform, detecting norovirus directly in stool samples in less than two hours, and is suitable for manual or automated testing. Such rapid and reliable results 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.

IDEIA Norovirus is one of a range of IDEIA kits for the detection of the four leading causes of viral gastroenteritis: norovirus, rotavirus, astrovirus and adenovirus. Each kit follows a similar protocol and can be performed individually or in a panel, using a single sample dilution.

Oxoid is part of Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., the world leader in serving science.

http://www.oxoid.com

References

1. BBC News, 17 November 2008. Norovirus spreads to second ward http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/norfolk/7734298.stm

2. BBC News, 12 November 2008. Three wards closed by Norovirus http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/somerset/7725805.stm

3. BBC News, 26 November 2008. Cruise Britons 'too ill for home' http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7748776.stm

4. Lopman, B.A., Reaches, M.H., Vipond, I.B. et al (2004) Emerg. Infect. Dis. 10(10):1827-1834

About Thermo Fisher Scientific

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO) is the world leader in serving science, enabling our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. With annual revenues of $10 billion, we have more than 30,000 employees and serve over 350,000 customers within pharmaceutical and biotech companies, hospitals and clinical diagnostic labs, universities, research institutions and government agencies, as well as environmental and industrial process control settings. Serving customers through two premier brands, Thermo Scientific and Fisher Scientific, we help solve analytical challenges from routine testing to complex research and discovery. Thermo Scientific offers customers a complete range of high-end analytical instruments as well as laboratory equipment, software, services, consumables and reagents to enable integrated laboratory workflow solutions. Fisher Scientific provides a complete portfolio of laboratory equipment, chemicals, supplies and services used in healthcare, scientific research, safety and education. Together, we offer the most convenient purchasing options to customers and continuously advance our technologies to accelerate the pace of scientific discovery, enhance value for customers and fuel growth for shareholders and employees alike.

Thermo Fisher Scientific