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news.Focus Diagnostics, the infectious disease diagnostics company of Quest Diagnostics has launched the first laboratory developed test for detecting the mosquito-borne chikungunya virus in the US.
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Commercial availability of the molecular polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test will enable physicians in the US to test patients who may have contracted the virus, such as individuals returning from regions in Africa and Asia where chikungunya is endemic.
Jay Lieberman, medical director, infectious diseases, Focus Diagnostics, said: “The availability of our chikungunya virus PCR test will give healthcare providers in the US an important option for identifying patients, particularly travelers, who may be infected with this potentially disabling virus. If chikungunya emerges in the US, our test could become an important tool to help mobilize an effective public health response.”