Fast and Accurate Diagnostic Test Introduced for Meningitis

A novel, fast-acting multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) diagnostic technique simultaneously verifies a complex range of pathogens that indicate meningitis, a severely debilitating infection that if not diagnosed and treated quickly can result in death.

The Seeplex meningitis ACE detection tests for 12 meningitis-causing pathogens: five bacteria--Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis, Haemophilus influenzae type b, Listeria monocytogenes, and Streptococcus agalactiae; and seven viruses-- Herpes simplex virus 1 and 2 (HSV1, HSV2), varicella zoster virus (VZV, or human herpesvirus 3), Epstein-Bar virus (EBV, or human herpesvirus 4), Cytomegalovirus (CMV), human herpesvirus 6 (HHV6), and enteroviruses from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).

Traditional methods of diagnosing meningitis rely on culture and Gram staining, both of which have notable performance limitations that can result in inaccurate diagnosis of meningitis. Culture of CSF takes more than three days to obtain test results that can be unclear because of recent antibiotic use, contamination, or fastidious bacteria.

Gram staining is one of the oldest microbiologic tests that distinguish between Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. But Gram staining does not identify the individual strain of bacteria. This type of detailed information is necessary for applying the correct antibiotics that can destroy certain meningitis causing bacteria, and prevent its spread to other people.

The World Health Organization (WHO; Geneva, Switzerland) estimates that 1.2 million cases of bacterial meningitis occur every year around the world, out of which 135,000 are fatal. The WHO postulates that a significant number of viral meningitis infections go undiagnosed in the absence of a standard diagnostic tool to determine the infections.

Seeplex technology is provided by Seegene (Seoul, Korea), a biotechnology company specialized in molecular diagnostics and research applications. "Seeplex Meningitis ACE detection provides accurate, rapid and cost-effective meningitis diagnostics. The test is a clear break from traditional methods of diagnosing meningitis, taking only six hours to detect either bacterial or viral meningitis infection in an easy to use testing format," said Dr. Jong-Yoon Chun, founder and CEO of Seegene. "This test will help to save lives and prevent unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions by providing precise information of meningitis causing pathogens at the earliest possible stage."

Related Links:
World Health Organization
Seegene