Press release summary
Co-Diagnostics said Oct. 8 that the Ute Indian Tribe Mosquito Abatement Department ordered a complete Vector Smart molecular-testing laboratory for local mosquito surveillance. The company described it as its first full Vector Smart laboratory order from a Native American tribe.
The planned installation will allow the department to perform polymerase chain reaction testing of mosquito pools in house rather than relying entirely on outside laboratories. Co-Diagnostics offers multiplex PCR assays designed to detect pathogens associated with West Nile virus, Eastern and Western equine encephalitis, St. Louis encephalitis, Zika, dengue and chikungunya.
Local testing could shorten the time between mosquito collection and surveillance results, giving vector-control teams more timely information for operational decisions. The announcement covers an order and anticipated installation, however, not a completed deployment or reported field-performance study.
For laboratory and public-health readers, the project illustrates how compact molecular workflows are moving closer to the point where surveillance samples are collected. Successful operation will depend on installation, staff training, contamination control, quality assurance and confirmation that each assay is appropriate for the department’s surveillance program.
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