Molecular Detection Inc. have released a new version of its Detect-Ready MRSA Panel at the 22nd European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID).The superior performance of the Detect-Ready MRSA Panel has been further enhanced by increasing the number of MRSA strains it can detect, adding MRSA strains known to be missed by at least one other market-leading assay to the universe of all known common MRSA strains that were already included. The new kit also shortens the sample preparation process and minimizes required 'hands-on' time.The Detect-Ready MRSA Panel is a qualitative real-time PCR in vitro diagnostic test. It is CE-marked for the detection of MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) and MSSA (methicillin-sensitive S. aureus) and is the only marketed PCR-based MRSA screening test with the proven ability to discriminate accurately between these pathogens and other related bacteria.

Comparative data confirming the greater accuracy of the Detect-Ready MRSA panel was generated by researchers at St. Thomas' Hospital in London as part of an academic study. The study compared the performance of MDI's test and the Becton Dickinson GeneOhm MRSA PCR sold by BD Diagnostics. The researchers concluded that the Detect-Ready MRSA assay is superior to the GeneOhm panel in terms of specificity, while still providing a more rapid screening service compared to traditional microbiology culture methods.*

Detect-Ready kits are compatible with a number of the real time-PCR platforms currently found in most hospitals. Samples for testing are simple to obtain using nasal swabs and the kit's ready-to-use pre-mixed reagents require only the addition of patient sample to run the test, which provides results in less than three hours. Unlike other tests that require special handling, Detect-Ready kits are off-the-shelf room temperature-stabilized and require no refrigeration.

The Detect-Ready MRSA Panel is currently available in the UK, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland, Spain, Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Australia and Israel, and is in late-stage development in the US.