New Tool in Fight against Influenza Virus Now Available at Intermountain Medical Center - Intermountain Lab First in State to Utilize New FDA-approved Test

Murray, Utah (2/20/2008) — Doctors at Intermountain Medical Center have a new tool in their fight against influenza viruses.

The central laboratory at Intermountain Medical Center is the first lab in the Intermountain West to implement a new test that simultaneously detects and identifies 12 influenza specific viruses and viral subtypes that are responsible for more than 85% of respiratory viral infections, including influenza, adenovirus and rhinovirus.

The test, called the xTAG respiratory viral panel, is the first test for the detection and differentiation of influenza A subtypes H1 and H3. Influenza A is the most severe form of influenza for humans, and has been the cause of major epidemics. The new panel was just approved for clinical use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration two week ago. It is also the first test for human metapneumovirus (hMPV), newly identified in 2001.

Respiratory viral infections are the 7th leading cause of death in the United States, claiming more than 60,000 lives each year. They also are responsible for millions of illnesses and hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations annually. Influenza alone can affect as much as 20% of the U.S. population each year and flu-related complications lead to the hospitalization of more than 200,000 Americans.

With the test, laboratory experts can detect and identify 12 influenza viruses from one sample. Since the panel utilizes small amounts of genetic material, and then replicates it many times, the entire testing process and diagnostic time for patients is significantly sped up. The enhanced diagnosis and treatment of respiratory viral infections will improve patient care. With the test, doctors no longer have to give their best diagnosis based on symptoms, which alone don't provide a clear picture of what is causing a respiratory infection. When a patient presents with a respiratory infection, a doctor can take one swab and in a matter of hours, have valuable information to help them determine what the problem is and how best to treat it.

"This is very important since the usual process of detecting and identifying respiratory viruses can take up to a week. With this test, we can get results significantly quicker than that," says David J. Pombo, M.D., a infectious disease specialist at Intermountain Medical Center.

The xTAG respiratory viral panel amplifies viral genetic material found in secretions taken with a swab from the back of the throat in patients with possible respiratory tract infections. In the test, specific beads, or microspheres, bind to the amplified viral genetic material. The beads are then sorted so that the specific virus can be identified. The xTAG panel is the first FDA-cleared test for infectious respiratory disease viruses that uses a multiplex platform, allowing several tests to be processed using the same sample.

Respiratory viruses are responsible for upwards of 80% of respiratory infection cases and antibiotics, unfortunately, cannot change the course of illnesses caused by viruses. However, because of the lack of diagnostic testing to date, doctors often end up treating respiratory infections with antibiotics, which is potentially dangerous to patients and leads to the creation of antibiotic resistant bacteria or "superbugs."

Other viruses identified by the xTAG respiratory viral panel:

• Influenza B — one of three types of human influenza, less severe than influenza A.
• Respiratory syncytial virus subtype A and B — both are leading causes of infant pneumonia and bronchiolitis (an infection of the airways leading to the lungs) and often contribute to the development of long-term pulmonary disease.
• Parainfluenza 1, 2 and 3 — all are leading factors in the croup and the common cold.
• Rhinovirus — the most common viral infective agent in humans and a cause of the common cold.
• Adenovirus — a cause of respiratory tract infections often similar to strep throat or tonsilitis.

The xTAG respiratory viral panel is manufactured by Toronto-based Luminex Molecular Diagnostics.