The FDA has recently cleared for marketing, the very first test that can simultaneously detect and identify 12 specific respiratory viruses in one sample.




The said test, called the xTAG Respiratory Viral Panel (RVP) - (RVP) is a diagnostic test for the detection of multiple viral strains and subtypes designed to allow better decision-making in patient management and to limit the spread of infection.

Influenza A is the most severe form of influenza for humans, and has been the cause of major epidemics. The new panel is also the first test for human metapneumovirus (hMPV), newly identified in 2001.

The xTAG Respiratory Viral Panel amplifies viral genetic material found in secretions taken 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.

Manufactured by the Toronto-based Luminex Molecular Diagnostics, the xTAG Respiratory Viral Panel can also identify various other viruses.

Read the FDA news to find out more details and the Luminex PR.