NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – South Korean molecular diagnostics firm Bioneer announced today that its three-in-one test kit for the detection of Zika, dengue, and chikungunya viruses has been deemed eligible for procurement by the World Health Organization.
The AccuPower ZIKV (DENV, CHIKV) Multiplex Real-Time RT-PCR kit is a qualitative nucleic acid assay that uses Bioneer's ExiStation Molecular Diagnostic System to rapidly test for the three mosquito-borne viruses simultaneously. It incorporates Bioneer's Dual-HotStart RT-PCR technologies, which include hotstart in both the PCR and reverse transcription steps, enhancing sensitivity and specificity. It has been approved in both Europe and South Korea.
According to Bioneer, the WHO assessed the kit under its Emergency Use Assessment and Listing Procedure, which provides organizations, procurement agencies, and member states performance assurance for Zika diagnostics in order to expedite their availability. The procedure was put in place following the declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern based on microcephaly cases linked to Zika infection.