Inverness Medical Innovations Receives USDA Licensure of the BinaxNOW(R) Avian Influenza Virus Type A Antige...( WALTHAM Mass. Aug. 11 /- Invernes...),Health

WALTHAM, Mass., Aug. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Inverness Medical Innovations, Inc. (Amex: IMA), a leading provider of near-patient diagnostics, monitoring and health management solutions, announced today that it has received licensure from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to manufacture, market and distribute the BinaxNOW(R) Avian Influenza Virus Type A Antigen Test Kit. Test results are available in 15 minutes compared to traditional methods, which can take days to produce results.

Responding to a USDA-identified need for a rapid influenza test for veterinary use, Inverness sought and has now obtained USDA clearance for testing in avian species. Inverness is the only manufacturer to have two versions of their rapid antigen test kit for influenza: one USDA licensed for veterinary use and the other FDA cleared for human use.

The BinaxNOW AI Antigen Test is an easy-to-use, rapid immunochromatographic test (ICT) that detects influenza A nucleoproteins in chicken, turkey and duck samples. No specialized equipment or training is necessary. Use of the BinaxNOW AI test enables early and accurate identification of influenza A nucleoproteins, facilitating the implementation of appropriate and cost-effective action plans.

Worldwide, many strains of avian influenza virus (AIV) can cause varying degrees of disease in poultry. Some strains are extremely infectious and a fatal form of the disease can spread rapidly from flock to flock. The prominent subtypes of avian influenza viruses include H5 and H7. The BinaxNOW AI Antigen Test is capable of detecting all subtypes, including H5 and H7.

Effective and timely detection of AIV is not only important for the protection of animals and our food supply, but in
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