Meridian Diagnostics, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio, announced the launch of the ImmunoCard STAT! 0157:H7 test for detecting E. coli in food. This test utilizes two highly specific monoclonal antibodies isolated by U. S. Department of Agriculture scientists at the U. S. Meat Animal Research Center, Clay Center, Nebraska. ImmunoCard STAT! 0157:H7 was developed by Meridian to detect the most prevalent toxic sub-species of the deadly E. coli bacteria in minutes from a broth enhanced food or animal sample.
E. coli 0157:H7 was discovered in sporadic food-borne outbreaks in the early 1980's, and became more widely known following a 1993 outbreak associated with undercooked hamburgers from a fast food chain in the Northwest. More recently this toxic strain has been isolated from fruit juices, produce, sausage and dairy products, as well as beef. Estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that 20,000 cases of E. coli 0157:H7 may occur each year resulting in hundreds of deaths.
John A. Kraeutler, President and Chief Operating Officer, said, "This combining of technology from USDA's Agricultural Research Service with Meridian's product development capability has yielded a new, highly simple tool that will be of great value in helping protect our nation's food supply. ImmunoCard STAT! E. coli 0157:H7 is the first in what we hope will be a successful series of rapid, innovative tests for food-borne disease bacteria."
Meridian Diagnostics, Inc. develops, manufactures and markets a variety of immunodiagnostic test kits, purified reagents such as antigens and monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies, and related diagnostic products. The Company is a leader in the area of rapid diagnosis of infectious human diseases. All Meridian products are used outside the human body and require little or no special instrumentation or equipment. Domestic and international market segments consist of hospital, commercial and reference laboratories, and physicians' offices. The Company's shares are traded through Nasdaq National Market, symbol KITS.
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