BioMérieux is back in the news with the launch of its Vidas UP Salmonella, which utilizes recombinant bacteriophage proteins and delivers results in as little as 19 hours versus reference methods that require up to three days. The technology complements the company's VIDAS E. coli O157 phage technology for the detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7.
Salmonella is a bacterium that causes one of the most common intestinal infections worldwide. In the U.S. alone, it is implicated in more than 1 million cases of foodborne illness annually, according to the CDC. Of these cases, approximately 20,000 result in hospitalization and 378 result in death, the company says in a statement.
The new VIDAS SPT assay is able to detect low levels of contamination by Salmonella. It is also one of the most rapid and easy-to-use diagnostic tools available for the screening of Salmonella in environmental samples, as well as standard and large-size food samples. The technology provides an extremely simple, one-step sample preparation that reduces laboratory hands-on time.
And as Food Safety News notes, J. Stan Bailey, formerly with the USDA's Agriculture Research Service, is now director of scientific affairs for bioMérieux and is helping the company get the product to market. Bailey tells the news source the test is a "game-changer" and will minimize the time and complexity for testing.
Although decling to name the price of the tests, Bailey told the news service they are cost-competitive and "will save money in the long run."
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