Dyne Immune's Portable,
Low-Cost Rabies Screen Delivers Life-Saving Information to Veterinarians, Animal
Workers in Minutes
By: Marketwire .
Feb. 3, 2009 02:09 PM
FLORENCE, KY -- (Marketwire) -- 02/03/09 -- Dyne Immune, LLC announced today
their new, portable Rabies RAPID(TM) (Rapid Antibody Portable Immunodetection)
Screen, which can detect the presence of rabies in an animal saliva sample
within 30 minutes, providing vital information much sooner than traditional
testing methods. The screen allows veterinarians, animal control officers and
other professionals to check for rabies in animals that are still alive,
eliminating the long wait (10 to 14 days) and hefty price tag associated with
typical post-mortem rabies testing.
"This test can reduce the number of animals destroyed and save doctors and
animal control organizations from the costs associated with traditional
testing," said Dyne Immune CEO, Dr. V. James DeFranco, MD. "Most importantly,
though, it enables them to screen for rabies and get an answer quickly -- and
that's essential when it comes to preventing the infection from spreading."
Rabies RAPID(TM) Screen detects the virus' antigen in saliva and indicates a
positive result in the low microgram-per-milliliter range. A simple results
window in the screening kit indicates within minutes whether an animal is
infected with rabies. The test is packaged in a small, lightweight kit that can
be used both in the field and in the lab as a primary screening tool.
The technology was put to the test last month when a local New York Humane
Society tried out the kit on a newly admitted stray kitten. Rabies RAPID(TM)
Screen indicated the kitten may have been positive for rabies antigen, and was
immediately quarantined. In the meantime, the entire Animal Control staff was
alerted to protect themselves and other animals from possible exposure.
Veterinarians, animal control workers and wildlife professionals play a key role
in protecting people and their pets from rabid animals. Their work places them
at an increased risk for rabies exposure. Pre- and post-exposure rabies vaccines
are available, but rabies' relatively long incubation period means that animals
and people may unknowingly come into contact with an infected animal. Confirming
the presence or absence of the virus quickly could speed the time taken to
receive post-exposure vaccination. It could also help animal care workers limit
their exposure, and help protect uninfected animals by determining which animals
pose a danger.
There is no cure for rabies. Without post-exposure vaccination, the disease is
almost always fatal in both animals and humans.
In 2008, the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association reported
that cases of rabies in the United States had increased by 4.6% the previous
year. Approximately 40,000 Americans are treated for potential exposure each
year, usually from bats, raccoons, squirrels and occasionally, cats and dogs.
According to the World Health Organization rabies kills approximately 55,000
people every year around the world.
About Dyne Immune LLC
Dyne Immune is dedicated to the development of technology for the detection and
prevention of infectious disease. The company specializes in making the latest
in antibody/antigen technology available in affordable, portable and practical
tool kits that can make a real and timely difference in the lives of animal
welfare workers, human health care professionals and those they serve. Visit
www.dyneimmune.com to learn more.
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Contact:
Michael Huchital, PhD
Dyne Immune, LLC
845.987.9878
Email Contact
Published Feb. 3, 2009
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