A study, conducted by scientists at the University of Rochester Medical Center, found that the QuickVue(R) Influenza A+B assay showed the highest analytical sensitivity among the four tests examined for their effectiveness in detecting the flu.

In the abstract from the study: "A number of rapid immunoassays for influenza are now available to both clinicians and clinical microbiologists. However, it is difficult to derive a clear understanding of the comparative performance of these devices from published evaluations using clinical specimens because the relative amount of antigen is undefined in these specimens. The purpose of this study was to compare the performance of 4 Influenza A+B assays under controlled conditions."

Melinda Nye, PhD and clinical microbiology fellow at the University of Rochester Medical Center, led the sensitivity study comparing the QuickVue® Influenza A+B test's performance to three other currently available, point-of-care influenza diagnostics. The research was conducted under controlled laboratory conditions and results showed that the QuickVue® Influenza A+B test was more sensitive than the other tests 95 percent of the time.

QuickVue® is the leading brand of rapid influenza tests(1) and more than 60% of U.S. physicians who test for influenza use this brand (1).

(1) The study was supported by Surveillance Data Inc. and funded by Quidel Corporation as a part of its new Quidel Value Build (QVB) assurance protocol, designed to provide proof to clinicians that point of care tests demonstrate improved patient outcomes.