ViraCor Laboratories, Lee’s Summit, Mo, a specialty molecular diagnostic reference lab that provides 24-hour turnaround for lab tests, offers a new enterovirus test that quickly pinpoints the virus that affects 10 to 15 million Americans annually.
The molecular test detects 70-plus known strains of enterovirus, helping physicians determine and track the severity of infections by measuring a patient’s viral load.
“Too often, physicians are in the dark about the true cause of an infection and, as a result, may prescribe antibiotics that, in the end, are not effective,” said Steve Kleiboeker, PhD, the company’s chief scientific officer. “Our enterovirus-testing service gives doctors the results they need for effective patient management.”
The virus is the second leading cause of viral infection in humans after the rhinoviruses, which cause the common cold, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Enterovirus
causes a range of minor to life-threatening illnesses, such as aseptic (viral) meningitis, myocarditis, and encephalitis.
People may become infected by enterovirus through direct contact with an infected person’s saliva, mucus, or other bodily secretions, or by touching contaminated surfaces or objects, such as counters, telephones, or doorknobs.
Children and patients with compromised immune systems are at a particular risk for enterovirus infection because their bodies cannot readily fight the virus.
The company partners with key transplant programs nationwide, including two-thirds of US pediatric transplant hospitals. It provides diagnostic testing to critical care patients and those with compromised immune systems.
