NEW YORK – BioMérieux announced on Friday that it has obtained the CE mark for two immunoassays to detect Chikungunya virus infection.
The tests, called Vidas Anti-Chikungunya IgM and Vidas Anti-Chikungunya IgG are automated assays that run on the firm's Vidas instruments.
A mosquito-borne infection initially present in tropical regions, Chikungunya has more recently been locally acquired in North America and Europe, as well.
The BioMérieux Chikungunya serology tests can detect acute and chronic infections. Run on the Vidas system, the tests "provide reliable results with better traceability than existing manual methods," BioMérieux said. The system performs single-sample, "Load & Go" testing that obviates the need for subjective interpretation.
"This new Vidas Chikungunya panel complements the Vidas dengue solution launched last year," said Pierre Boulud, chief operating officer for clinical operations at BioMérieux. "Our offer of immunoassays directed against vector-borne diseases helps improve access to medically important automated diagnostic tests in low- and middle-income countries," Boulud added, noting as well that the large Vidas installed base in these countries "allows fast and wide availability of these tests."
Vidas was launched 30 years ago and is one of the most widely used immunoassay systems in clinical laboratories worldwide, BioMérieux said.