Tests for the rapid diagnosis of swine flu have a high failure rate, according to a study in The Journal of Clinical Virology and a soon-to-be-released study from the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention. The manufacturers of these tests include Quidel, Inverness Medical Innovations, 3M, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Meridian Bioscience, and Becton, Dickinson. The rapid tests take 30 minutes or less, do not require a laboratory and cost less than $20, but can only determine if the virus is present. A more accurate PCR-based test must be sent to a laboratory and costs $100, but can tell if the patient has the flu. Luminex, Prodesse, and Becton, Dickinson offer PCR-based tests for the flu, but were warned by the FDA in May about claims that the test can specifically detect the swine flu. DxNA is currently working on a fast PCR test for the swine flu.

Source: The New York Times