In a doctors office situation its difficult to diagnose just from the symptoms whether an infection is caused by a virus or a bacteria. Health Canada have now issued a Medical Device License for FebriDx® from RPS Diagnostics, Inc. This is a rapid, in-office test that uses a fingerstick blood sample to help identify a pathogen-induced immune response to viral and/or bacterial acute febrile respiratory infection. A nurse or technician can easily perform the single-use, disposable FebriDx test during a patient’s initial workup and have results available in 15 minutes. This allows an effective patient treatment plan to be established at the point of care.

The FebriDx test works by simultaneously detecting elevated levels of Myxovirus resistance A (MxA) – an intracellular protein that elevates in the presence of acute viral infection, and C-reactive Protein (CRP) – an acute-phase protein that increases in the body when a bacterial infection is present. The combined detection of MxA and CRP facilitates the differentiation of patients more likely to have an acute viral and/or bacterial infection from less clinically significant microbiologically unconfirmed respiratory illnesses (MURI).

The Health Canada Medical Device License allows the FebriDx test to be marketed and sold in Canada. The FebriDx test is also CE marked and available for sale in Europe. However, the test has not yet received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is not commercially available in the United States.

To learn more, visit FebriDx.com.