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States Urge CDC to Validate Faster Measles Test
22 Oct
Summary
- Four states requested CDC validation for a rapid measles test.
- CDC cited competing priorities for denying the initial request.
- A faster test could significantly improve outbreak response.
Health officials from California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington formally requested in May that the CDC validate a new rapid measles testing method. After a two-month wait, the CDC denied this request, citing "other competing priorities." The West Coast Health Alliance has now urged the CDC director to reconsider this decision.
The alliance emphasized the critical need for a rapid, high-volume measles test to prepare for potential major outbreaks. Such a validated test would dramatically enhance laboratory capacity for swift responses. This preparedness extends beyond measles, aiding in the detection of other high-priority pathogens like Ebola or hantavirus, and emerging threats.
Currently, laboratories depend on lower-volume tests, such as individual PCR tests. The article highlights how high-volume equipment, like the Hologic Panther Fusion, was widely adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic for rapid processing. However, a comparable high-throughput diagnostic test for measles has not been published or validated by the CDC.
While Texas state laboratories developed a test during a previous outbreak, its protocol has not been distributed or published. The CDC has reportedly reviewed studies on this test and another from ARUP Laboratories, but these were not full validations. The West Coast Health Alliance is pushing for the CDC to develop and publish a measles assay protocol for platforms like the Panther Fusion, stressing that readily available high-throughput capacity is essential for scaling up diagnostic testing during large outbreaks to ensure proper patient care and public health investigation.
