This rapid test is for the detection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC) from an endocervical swab for females and from urine for males. The GC OIA test detects the proprietary L7/L12 ribosomal protein marker. The test als uses a patented accessory, the UFD (Urine Filtration Device), to concentrate and extract the antigen from male urine prior to placement on the OIA platform.
     According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Neisseria gonorrhoeae is the second most common sexually transmitted disease in the U.S., resulting in 650,000 new infections annually.
   The development of rapid diagnostic tests for Neisseria gonorrhoeae has been extremely challenging due to the difficulty in identifying single protein targets that are found only in GC, in all strains of GC, and not in other Neisseria species. Unlike the previous non-rapid products, the GC OIA test detects L7/L12, a ribosomal protein that is found within the cell. Detection of this protein offers advantages in the development of this highly sensitive and specific test.
Thermo Electron Corporation
www.CLPmag.com 
Keywords: infectious disease, rapid test, STD