Luminex Corp, Austin, Tex, advises that Public Health Wales is using Luminex’s CE marked xTAG Gastrointestinal Pathogen Panel (GPP) for outbreak investigation activities during Olympic and Paralympic training and events taking place in Wales.

Results of a substantial diagnostic validation of the GPP test conducted by The Public Health Wales Microbiology laboratory team at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, are anticipated to be published in a peer-reviewed journal. 

"We are very pleased with the performance of the assay to date in our validations comparing it to our traditional methods," says Michael Perry, clinical scientist within the National Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory, Public Health Wales. "The ability to generate answers during a single work shift for a majority of the pathogens involved in gastroenteritis, compared to traditional methods, which would have taken 2 days in some cases, and much more work to return the same amount of information, is a significant advance."

Luminex’s xTAG GPP, which received CE mark in 2011, is a comprehensive test available to diagnose gastrointestinal infections.

xTAG GPP simultaneously detects 15 of the most common disease-causing pathogens, including viral, bacterial, and parasitic infections, such as norovirus, C. difficile, toxigenic strains of E. coli, campylobacter, cryptosporidium, and salmonella, all within 5 to 6 hours. 

Innovations in diagnostic technology such as xTAG GPP provide the potential for rapid identification of the cause of outbreaks of gastrointestinal infection and improved patient care.

"Seeing the contribution of our technology innovations and ability to make a positive impact in public health makes us very proud," says Patrick J. Balthrop, president and CEO, Luminex. "We are pleased to work with thought leaders like the Molecular Laboratory team at Public Health Wales, Cardiff, who continue to advance health care and public safety."

Public Health Wales provides expert public health resources as part of the NHS in Wales. Public Health Wales Microbiology, Cardiff, is a clinical diagnostic and public health laboratory serving hospital inpatients, GP surgeries, and communicable disease professionals throughout Cardiff and Vale NHS trust.

The laboratory comprises large clinical bacteriology and virology sections and includes the National Molecular Diagnostic Unit for Wales which provides extensive molecular diagnostic services along with collaborations to further infectious disease diagnosis. The University Hospital of Wales is a major 1,000-bed hospital situated in the inner city district of Heath in Cardiff, Wales. UHW is the third largest University Hospitalin the UK, and the largest hospital in Wales.

HPA has implemented a Syndromic Surveillance system for real-time monitoring during these games that upgrades existing systems with some of the latest advances technology has to offer.  
 
[Source: Luminex Corp]