BioMerieux launches new pathogen identification tools for Vitek MS system

BioMerieux has announced the launch of new pathogen identification tools for the Vitek mass spectrometry (MS) system.

The new offering represents the first CE Mark-approved database and reagent kits for the identification of mycobacteria, Nocardia and moulds for a matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation – time of flight MS system.

It adds 297 new species, including identification of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis group, 45 species of the most frequent non-tuberculous mycobacteria and 48 of the most medically relevant moulds.

This is an important advance, as mycobacteria, Nocardia and moulds are considered difficult to identify and often take days or weeks for reliable identification. Vitek MS makes this process simple, rapid and reliable.

Francois Lacoste, corporate vice-president of BioMerieux's clinical unit, said: "Introducing the new Vitek MS features for the rapid identification of these three additional groups of important pathogens enhances our diagnostic solutions for the benefit of healthcare providers."

The Vitek MS database now enables the identification of 1,046 species, representing 15,172 distinct strains of bacteria, yeasts and moulds.