Novel 'Ten Minute' MERS-Coronavirus Diagnostics Test to Be Featured at Abu Dhabi Medical Congress & Exhibition

Online, June 17, 2013 (Newswire.com) - The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is the region's latest medical dilemma with public health authorities now on high alert. Many countries in the Middle East don't have the means to perform monitoring at point-of-care level as samples collected from suspected cases are sent long distances to central laboratories for testing. For the first time, a unique workshop will be hosted at the upcoming Abu Dhabi Medical Congress & Exhibition to discuss the use of a new isothermal DNA amplification and detection diagnostics test to detect the MERS-CoV in only 10 minutes with no need for well-equipped laboratories or qualified medical personnel.

The special emerging viral diseases session will take place at the Abu Dhabi Medical Congress & Exhibition from 27-29 October 2013 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC). Other medical specialties covered during the event include rehabilitation, patient safety, primary healthcare, nursing, and emergency medicine.

According to Dr Ahmed Abd El Wahed, Institute of Virology, University of Goettingen, Germany, who will be speaking at the emerging viral diseases session, "Holding a session of this nature during the Abu Dhabi Medical Congress will give an overview about how to react fast during outbreaks and how to develop a point-of-care diagnostics in the region. Early diagnosis of the infectious agents helps to diminish their impact by adequate outbreak management such as isolation of infected patients and movement restrictions."

In the region, and across the globe as a whole, there is a desperate need for portable, accurate, simple, and rapid tests to detect the virus at the spot-of-infection. This provides ample time for healthcare professionals to determine the course of treatment by identifying the virus in its early stages and therefore provide their patients with a better outcome.

"The detection of the MERS- CoV is performed using the recombinase polymerase amplifications (RPA) assay. It is a novel isothermal DNA amplification and detection technology. RPA is performed at a single temperature (42°C) and yield a result after only 2-10 minutes," explains Dr El Wahed.
Also speaking at the emerging viral diseases session is Prof Frank Hufert, Division Chief of Virology, Centre for Hygiene and Human Genetics, University of Goettingen, Germany.

"On a global level infectious diseases (ID) are a leading cause of death, and the level is equivalent to the number of people dying from cardiovascular diseases," says Prof Hufert. "It has been estimated that nearly two thirds (61%) of all human infectious diseases and 75% of all emerging diseases (EID) are of animal origin. Today, the high mobility of people, animals and goods through progressing globalisation results in an increasing risk of EID and all kind of ID. The growing world population, increasing poverty and an accumulation of people living in uncontrolled developing mega-cities highly supports the dissemination and occurrence of any type of ID even those known to occur in remote areas only."

Organised by Informa Life Sciences Exhibition, the Abu Dhabi Medical Congress & Exhibition is the region's key healthcare event bringing together leading international healthcare companies to showcase their latest products and services within the emergency, primary healthcare, patient safety, nursing and Rehabilitation sectors, as well as being a platform for scientific exchange via the accompanying multi-track conference programme dedicated to these healthcare sectors. The event has expanded to 10,000 sqm, with more than 150 exhibitors from 25 countries, 11CME-Accredited conferences, and an estimated 6000 attendees.