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AutoGenomics Addresses TB Crisis With a Genetic Drug Resistance Test

by Medindia Content Team on Jun 2 2007 5:51 PM

CARLSBAD, Calif., "In light of the recent news event where a passenger with extensive drug resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) flew on multiple airline flights and potentially infected other passengers, the need for rapid identification of MTB and assessment of drug resistance is critical to control of the spread of the disease" said Dr. Nani Dattagupta, Chief Scientific Officer of AutoGenomics.

"Management of this TB crisis" he said "depends upon rapid identification of active infection of those passengers who were exposed. The INFINITI MTB DR genetic test has been designed to identify the presence of multi- drug resistant TB by directly detecting the resistance gene in the mycobacteria".

MDR-TB (Multidrug Resistant TB) is a type of mycobacterium tuberculosis that is resistant to at least the two main first-line TB drugs - isoniazid and rifampicin. XDR-TB is MDR-TB that is also resistant to three or more drugs.

"The ability to rapidly verify an active MTB infection and determine its resistance to first line antibiotics is essential to isolating and eventually managing both the patient and individuals who may have been exposed": said Dr. Phyllis Della-Latta, Professor of Pathology at Columbia University Medical Center. She is also the Director of the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, where the AutoGenomics test is currently being validated.

Source: PR Newswire
LIN/M


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