Fight Flu Season with Vivalytic!

As we enter the Winter 2024/25 flu season, healthcare providers and patients face the co-circulation of influenza, RSV, and SARS-CoV-2. This combination of respiratory pathogens presents unique challenges, particularly for vulnerable groups, and highlights the critical need for rapid, accurate diagnostics. Vaccination among frontline healthcare workers remains essential to reduce transmission, protect high-risk patients, and prevent staff shortages in healthcare facilities.

The Seasonal Threat of Respiratory Infections

Every year, influenza outbreaks affect millions globally, especially during winter. In England, 2023/2024 saw 2,776 flu-related deaths, highlighting the burden on healthcare systems. Vulnerable groups, including older adults, pregnant women, and those with chronic conditions, face heightened risks of severe outcomes like pneumonia or ICU admissions.

Pamela Rendi-Wagner, Director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, stressed that “vaccination is one of the most effective measures to protect vulnerable populations from severe disease, hospitalisation, and death.” Recent data shows significant variability in flu vaccination rates among older adults, ranging from 12% to 78% across Europe, with only two countries exceeding 75% coverage.

Vaccination remains the cornerstone of flu prevention for high-risk groups like the elderly, immunocompromised, and healthcare workers. However, diagnostic testing plays an equally vital role this flu season. Rapid and accurate testing prevents unnecessary hospitalisations, reduces severe outcomes in vulnerable populations, and ensures effective use of healthcare resources.

Enter Vivalytic

Accurate and rapid diagnosis is essential for effective treatment and control of respiratory infections, especially during flu season. By identifying the specific pathogen, healthcare providers can tailor treatment plans, combat anti-microbial resistance, reduce the spread within communities, and alleviate pressure on healthcare systems.

Enter Vivalytic; and with it the SARS, Flu A/B, and RSV Panel, offering an all-in-one solution for simultaneous testing of key respiratory pathogens. This panel ensures that healthcare professionals can diagnose and differentiate between influenza, RSV, and SARS-CoV-2 swiftly, providing crucial information to guide patient management.

Features of the Vivalytic SARS, Flu A/B and RSV Panel

• All-in-One Solution: Multi-pathogen testing with a single cartridge, eliminating the need for complex manual preparation.
• Rapid Results: With a turnaround time of just 53 minutes, the Vivalytic Flu panel enables swift decision-making, crucial in time-sensitive cases from a single nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal swab sample.
• User-Friendly Design: An intuitive touchscreen interface requires minimal training, making it ideal for use in a variety of healthcare settings, including those with non-specialist operators.

Meeting the Challenges of the 2024/2025 Flu Season

As flu season progresses, the need for efficient and reliable diagnostics becomes ever more apparent. Fight Flu Season with Vivalytic, the  SARS, Flu A/B, and RSV Panel is not only a valuable tool for diagnosing individual cases but also plays a critical role in protecting public health by enabling rapid response and management of outbreaks.

Learn more about the Vivalytic, with one of the largest test menus on the market and how it can support your testing needs this winter here: Vivalytic | Point of Care | Randox Laboratories

Contact marketing@randox.com for more information

An Urgent Fungal Threat: Tackling Candida auris in Healthcare Environments

Candida auris (C. auris), is an emerging fungal threat that has garnered global attention due to its multidrug-resistant nature and ability to cause severe, life-threatening infections. First identified in 2009, C. auris has quickly spread worldwide, particularly in healthcare settings, posing a significant challenge to both clinicians and public health professionals.

Understanding Candida auris

Candida auris is a yeast-like fungus that can lead to severe infections, especially in patients with compromised immune systems or underlying health conditions. It is frequently found in healthcare environments such as hospitals and long-term care facilities. The most concerning aspect of C. auris is its ability to persist on surfaces, increasing the risk of outbreaks in these environments. Once introduced into a healthcare setting, it can rapidly spread from one patient to another, making infection control a significant challenge.

In Illinois alone, 921 C. auris cases were confirmed between 2016 and 2022 (1). Additionally, in 2022, 2377 cases of C. auris were reported to the CDC (2), further highlighting the increase in cases each year. In Europe, survey responses were received from all 30 invited EU/EEA countries. From 2013 to 2021, a total of 1,812 Candida auris cases were reported by 15 of these countries. The number of cases nearly doubled from 335 in 2020 to 655 in 2021, indicating a significant increase compared to previous years (3).

C. auris primarily causes bloodstream infections, but it can also infect wounds, the respiratory tract, and the ear. Patients in critical care, especially those using invasive medical devices such as ventilators, catheters, or feeding tubes, are particularly susceptible. In fact, data indicates that more than one in three people with an invasive C. auris infection affecting the blood, heart, or brain, do not survive (1).

The Growing Threat of Multidrug Resistance

One of the major concerns surrounding C. auris is its resistance to multiple classes of antifungal medications, which are typically used to treat Candida infections. This multidrug resistance often leads to treatment failure and poor outcomes in affected patients. In addition to its drug resistance, Candida auris is often misidentified as other Candida species using standard laboratory methods, further delaying appropriate treatment.

The Importance of Rapid and Accurate Detection

Given the risks posed by Candida auris, rapid detection is crucial for preventing the spread of this dangerous fungus. Early identification allows healthcare professionals to implement strict infection control measures such as isolating patients, cleaning and disinfecting affected areas, and preventing further transmission within healthcare facilities. However, traditional detection methods may be slow and prone to misidentification, making timely response difficult.

Enter Vivalytic

The early identification and containment of Candida auris are essential to prevent large-scale outbreaks. This is especially important in healthcare environments where patients may be vulnerable. The Vivalytic’s rapid detection of C. auris colonisation and infection allows for earlier implementation of infection control measures. This reduces the burden on public health systems and helps save lives.

At Randox Laboratories, the focus is on advancing the detection of infectious diseases like Candida auris. The Vivalytic, developed with Bosch, offers a reliable and accurate testing solution. This supports healthcare providers in protecting patients and controlling the spread of the fungus. Real-time PCR technology is used by the Vivalytic Candida auris test to detect DNA from swabs. These swabs may be taken from the axilla, groin, nasal, or rectal regions.

Key Benefits of Vivalytic Testing for Candida auris:

• Quick Results: The Vivalytic provides results in under 1 hour, enabling healthcare providers to make swift, informed decisions about patient care and infection control. This quick turnaround is essential for both treating the patient and containing the spread of Candida auris within a healthcare facility.
• Simple, 4-Step Process: The test uses a convenient 4-step process, from scanning the sample to receiving the results, making it easy to use in both laboratory and non-laboratory settings. The system’s fully automated, cartridge-based platform minimises the risk of contamination and simplifies workflow.
• Accurate Detection: The real-time PCR method used by Vivalytic ensures precise detection of Candida auris, even in cases where traditional methods might misidentify the fungus. This accuracy is vital in initiating appropriate antifungal treatment and curbing the infection.
• Convenient for Various Settings: The Vivalytic platform is designed to be used in a wide range of settings, from large laboratories to point-of-care environments, making it versatile and adaptable to the needs of different healthcare providers.

References

1. dph.illinois.gov. (n.d.). Candida auris (C. auris). [online] Available at: https://dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/diseases-and-conditions/infectious-diseases/candida-auris.html.
2. CDC (2024). Tracking C. auris. [online] Candida auris (C. auris). Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/candida-auris/tracking-c-auris/index.html.
3. Kohlenberg, A., Monnet, D.L. and Plachouras, D. (2022). Increasing number of cases and outbreaks caused by Candida auris in the EU/EEA, 2020 to 2021. Eurosurveillance, 27(46). doi:https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.es.2022.27.46.2200846.