Idaho Technology receives USASMDC contract to develop flu tests for military personnel

Idaho Technology, Inc. has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command (USASMDC) to develop tests for multiple flu strains on the Joint Biological Agent Identification and Diagnostic System (JBAIDS). The JBAIDS instrument, already widely deployed across the globe, and the suite of flu tests that will result from this effort will be used to test military personnel and their families for Influenza A and B, and subtypes of A.

“Testing for infectious disease such as the seasonal flu allows JBAIDS to move into the clinical diagnostics arena. This allows us to provide increased value beyond identifying biological warfare agents of concern to our troops”

This latest initiative will replace the CDC Swine flu detection panel on JBAIDS for diagnostic detection of the 2009 novel influenza A (H1N1) that was granted by the Emergency Use Authorization by the FDA in August 2009.

Traditional flu testing can take more than 48-hours to diagnose using culture methods; the JBAIDS expanded influenza panel will provide results for six flu targets in less than an hour. This effort may lead to the development of additional infectious disease assays for JBAIDS.

"Testing for infectious disease such as the seasonal flu allows JBAIDS to move into the clinical diagnostics arena. This allows us to provide increased value beyond identifying biological warfare agents of concern to our troops," said Todd Ritter, chief development officer of Idaho Technology.

Source: Idaho Technology, Inc.