FERA Introduces UTid+ In-Clinic Bacteria and Fungus Culture System
Apr 13, 2018
New UTid+ provides accurate in-clinic bacterial and fungal diagnosis in hours. Veterinarians and pet owners no longer have to wait days for lab results.
ITHACA, N.Y. (April 23, 2018) — FERA Diagnostics and Biologicals is pleased to introduce UTid+TM, a companion animal in-clinic culture system for diagnosing common bacteria and fungi associated with general infections, including urinary tract (UTI), skin conditions, ear disease, and much more. UTid+ helps veterinarians accurately diagnose infections faster and provide affordable and timely treatment plans that improve outcomes for both the pet and its owner.
In 2017, FERA introduced UTid urinary tract infection culture system. UTid+ uses the same characteristics as the UTid plate with an added fourth section for fungal interpretation, enabling veterinarians to diagnose almost all commonly encountered urine, skin and ear infections in clinic. Tested against the gold standard of traditional lab culture, the UTid+ bacterial culture kit exceeded expectations with 100% sensitivity in a preliminary trial using more than 50 samples.
“We are excited to expand our proprietary technology in the small animal industry,” says
Dr. Rodrigo Bicalho, Chief Executive Officer of FERA. “Instead of sending out cultures to
laboratories and waiting days for results, veterinarians now can use UTid+ to help accelerate patient care, be more judicious with antibiotic use, respond to clients’ economic needs and improve the clinic’s profit margins.”
While traditional bacterial cultures can take up to 48 hours to show results, UTid+ culture kits take 16 hours or less and identify the following pathogens: Klebsiella spp., E. coli, Pseudomonas spp., Proteus spp., Streptococcus spp., Enterococcus spp., Enterobacter, Serratia, Citrobacter, Coagulase negative staphylococcus spp. (S. chromogenes, haemolyticus), Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Malassezia, Candida, Prototheca and other fungi.
According to Bicalho, it’s easy to implement the UTid+ test. “All you need to perform in clinic cultures are sterile swabs, an incubator and the FERA UTid+ kit. Veterinary technicians, assistants and other clinic staff can easily perform the test, which takes only a few seconds to prepare the culture and interpret the results based on well-defined color changes.”
About FERA Diagnostics & Biologicals
FERA Diagnostics & Biologicals is a privately held animal health company based in College Station, Texas. Combining science and innovation FERA brings practical, research-proven products to the animal health field.
