Nucleic Acid Preparations Identify Norovirus and Mycoplasma pneumonia

By Labmedica International staff writers
Posted on 15 Oct 2013

Image: DiaSorin's LIAISON IXT for the purification of nucleic acids (Photo courtesy of Diasorin).

Extraction kits provide high yield, high purity nucleic acid preparations for sensitive and accurate molecular identification of Norovirus and Mycoplasma pneumonia.

Magnetic bead technology extraction kits concentrates target microorganisms from a variety of sample matrices, including urine, sputum, culture, and swabs, and then provides a purified nucleic acid extraction for downstream molecular analysis. No enzymatic pretreatment or prior heat treatment is required.

The DiaSorin (Saluggia, Italy) BUGS’n Beads nucleic acid extraction kits, for use with the automated DiaSorin LIAISON IXT/Arrow instruments, provide a highly purified nucleic acid preparation from patient samples for sensitive and accurate molecular confirmation of these microorganisms.

Outbreaks of Norovirus, also known as winter vomiting disease, can spread quickly in certain semiclosed environments and frequently cause ward closures in hospitals during the winter months. Human noroviruses cannot be grown in cell culture and so diagnostic methods focus on the detection of viral RNA or antigen.

Mycoplasma pneumonia is a common cause of atypical pneumonia. Since other, less common etiological agents exist, which require a different course of treatment, identification of bacterial DNA in clinical samples has become increasingly important in establishing the cause of atypical pneumonia so that the optimal directed therapy can be provided for patients.

During winter, clinical laboratories experience an increase in test requests for certain seasonal pathogens such as Norovirus and Mycoplasma pneumonia. The DiaSorin nucleic acid extraction kits, for use with the automated DiaSorin LIAISON IXT/Arrow instruments, provide a highly purified nucleic acid preparation from patient samples for sensitive and accurate molecular confirmation of these microorganisms.

DiaSorin BUGS’n Beads can be used for the extraction of nucleic acid from a variety of pathogens, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Enterovirus, MRSA, Norovirus, Escherichia coli, Legionella, Mycoplasma pneumonia, Chlamydia pneumonia, and Helicobacter pylori.

In addition to BUGS’n Beads, DiaSorin nucleic acid extraction kits are available for the extraction of RNA or DNA, the extraction of DNA from stool and blood samples, and cell separation.

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