Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc, Hercules, Calif, a multinational manufacturer and distributor of life science research and clinical diagnostic products, has introduced in the United States the MRSASelect test for rapid screening of MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus).
With high sensitivity and specificity and rapid and direct identification, the test identifies MRSA carriers in 24 hours.
The infectious bacterial strain is resistant to antibiotics such as penicillin and methicillin. It is estimated to have caused more than 94,000 life-threatening infections and about 19,000 deaths nationwide in 2005—most of them connected with health care settings— according to the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The test is performed on nasal specimens from patients and health care workers to screen for MRSA colonization. Chromogenic media are used to grow bacteria in the lab and identify them based on a color reaction.
Illinois, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey are among states that are beginning to mandate screening for MRSA in hospitals. Individuals can become carriers of MRSA by physical contact with, or inhalation of, the organism.
