NEW YORK, Feb. 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- In vitro diagnostics industry market research firm Kalorama Information confirms that no commercially available and broadly distributed in vitro diagnostic test exists for the Zika virus. But the firm says the ability of the clinical diagnostics industry to develop new tests should not be underestimated. Kalorama said that recent developments in Ebola and Dengue viruses demonstrate that the IVD industry, once engaged, could develop tests in the future. The market for tests for infectious disease is over $16 billion dollars, according to Kalorama's recent report on infectious disease diagnostics.
Zika virus was discovered in Africa roughly seventy years ago, but has only been globalized in the last decade. It is transmitted by the same type of mosquito that carries dengue fever, yellow fever, and chikungunya virus, and is believed to contribute to birth defects. Outbreaks did not occur outside of Africa until 2007. Zika has attracted U.S. media and government attention since an alarming amount of cases in Latin America. While there are no tests, Genekam, a German biotechnology company, announced this week that it created technology that can not only reveal the presence of Zika pathogens and detect the severity based on the quantity of the infection in the patient's blood. The firm has shipped the first test kits to developing countries. U.S. testing for any suspected cases is limited to large government centers.
"Right now, tests need to be sent to the CDC or certain state health departments, but we'd expect interest in development given the concerns about Zika," said Bruce Carlson, Publisher of Kalorama Information. "Infectious disease testing is one of the larger areas of testing and there's an incentive to find tests that can detect viruses accurately and fast. The development and approval process isn't fast but in the U.S. there is some time for a threat to emerge."
Zika has been made a 'nationally notifiable' condition, meaning that healthcare providers should alert state or local health authorities of patients with symptoms for diagnostic testing and statistical purposes. While there's no commercial test at the current time, The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) can diagnose the virus by performing reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) on serum. Separating Zika cases from Dengue or Chikungunya can be difficult, according to the CDC.
A large outbreak is seen as unlikely in the U.S., since the U.S. has seen only limited spread of two similar viruses, dengueand chikungunya, which are also carried by mosquitoes. The CDC travel implemented a warning system covering countries where Zika transmission is ongoing: Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Suriname, Venezuela, and the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. On Jan. 22, the CDC added Barbados, Bolivia, Ecuador, Guadeloupe, Saint Martin, Guyana, Cape Verde, and Samoa to the warning. On Jan. 26, it added the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Dominican Republic.
According to the firm's recent report, Roche, Cepheid, Altona Diagnostics and BioFire are among those with Ebola tests on the market or in development. Alere, Chembio, Quidel Veredus and Siemens are among those companies with Dengue Fever on the market or in development.
For more information, Kalorama's complete study of the market, The World Market for Infectious Disease Tests is available at their website at:http://www.kaloramainformation.com/redirect.asp?progid=88016&productid=9367616.
About Kalorama Information
Kalorama Information, a division of MarketResearch.com, supplies the latest in independent medical market research in diagnostics, biotech, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and healthcare; as well as a full range of custom research services. Reports can be purchased through Kalorama's website and are also available on www.marketresearch.com and www.profound.com.
We routinely assist the media with healthcare topics. Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and our blog at www.kaloramainformation.com.
Contact:
Bruce Carlson
(212) 807-2622
[email protected]
www.KaloramaInformation.com
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150831/262422LOGO
SOURCE Kalorama Information
Related Links
http://www.kaloramainformation.com
WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM?
Newsrooms &
Influencers
Digital Media
Outlets
Journalists
Opted In
Share this article