DUBLIN, Ireland, Dec. 15, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HiberGene Diagnostics, a company focussed on applying molecular technology to the infectious disease segment of the diagnostics market, has announced that it has CE marked its HG C. difficile test.
HG C. difficile enables the rapid and accurate detection of the bacterium, Clostridium difficile (C. difficile), from stool samples in under 60 minutes. C. difficile is the major cause of hospital-acquired diarrhoea which can be fatal, particularly in elderly and immuno-compromised patients. Furthermore, the highly infectious nature of the bacterium, coupled with its resistance to current standard cleaning methods, means it can spread quickly leading to serious outbreaks in healthcare facilities.
The launch of HG C. difficile is the third in HiberGene’s expanding portfolio of tests which includes Meningococcus and Group B Streptococcus. In addition, the utility of the Meningococcus and Group B Streptococcus was recently expanded with the inclusion of a direct swab capability.
Commonly-used test methods for C. difficile include time-consuming cell culture techniques and frequently insensitive enzyme assays. HiberGene’s highly sensitive and specific C. difficile test takes approximately an hour and can be performed outside the laboratory setting.
Brendan Farrell, CEO of HiberGene, said: “The launch of the HG C. difficile test will help in tackling the spread of C. difficile in clinical environments. The spread of C. difficile can cause significant ill health, despite its relative ease to tackle. However, the inability to provide a rapid, on the spot, diagnosis can often result in a delay in effective treatment being administered. By using the HG C. difficile test, health professionals can now quickly and easily diagnose the presence of the bacterium and provide an effective treatment.”
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About HiberGene
HiberGene is a diagnostics company focussed on applying molecular technology to the infectious disease segment of the diagnostic market. Utilising the LAMP platform, HiberGene has developed rapid and highly sensitive diagnostic tests for Meningococcus, Group B Streptococcus and C. difficile which can be used in almost any clinical or laboratory setting. HiberGene intends to continue to expand its test menu for the detection of human infectious diseases.
www.hibergene.com