Top in ID: New respiratory syndromic test panel; preferable method for detecting West Nile
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The FDA recently cleared Qiagen’s respiratory syndromic testing panel, QIAstat-Dx Respiratory Panel Plus, for clinical use.
According to Qiagen, the panel can detect 21 viral and bacterial pathogens that cause upper respiratory infections. It generates results in about 1 hour by assessing many genetic targets at once.
“This comprehensive diagnostic tool will improve patient care, support responsible antimicrobial stewardship and reduce the burden on health care systems,” Fernando Beils, Qiagen’s senior vice president and head of molecular diagnostics business, said in a press release.
It was the top story in infectious disease last week.
The second top story was about a study that found whole blood testing was preferable to plasma testing for West Nile virus infection.
Read these and more top stories in infectious diseases below:
FDA clears Qiagen’s respiratory syndromic testing panel
The FDA has cleared Qiagen’s respiratory syndromic testing panel, the company announced May 13. Read more.
Whole blood PCR testing preferable for West Nile virus detection
PCR-based West Nile virus testing using whole blood was effective and favored compared with plasma testing as an initial test for infection, researchers reported. Read more.
Azithromycin does not reduce malaria, STI risk for pregnant women at delivery
The addition of azithromycin to daily trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole treatment among pregnant women with HIV did not reduce the rate of malaria or bacterial STIs at delivery, data showed. Read more.
CDC launches wastewater dashboard for flu to help track H5N1
The CDC was already monitoring wastewater in the United States for influenza A viruses as part of its regular year-round surveillance. Read more.
Management of Q fever complicated by lack of clinical guidelines
Experts say that the management of Q fever, a zoonotic disease caused by Coxiella burnetii, is complicated by the lack of clinical guidance on screening protocols, treatment regimens and durations. Read more.