Focus launches chikungunya test in US
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
Focus Diagnostics has launched in the US its laboratory test for chikungunya. The PCR-based test detects the presence of chikungunya virus RNA in the blood, giving results within a day of receiving the sample. The Cypress, California company suggests that doctors use the test in conjunction with the assessment of clinical symptoms, to diagnose the disease. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the chikungunya virus, which caused an outbreak in Italy in 2007, has the potential to enter and spread in the US. Symptoms include fever, rash and joint pain, as well as headache, fatigue, nausea, vomiting and muscle pain. While the disease is rarely fatal, long term effects can include disabling joint pain that can persist for months.