ARUP Awarded CDC Contract for Bird Flu Test Development

SALT LAKE CITY-ARUP Laboratories has been selected by the CDC as a formal partner in the development of a test for avian influenza A (H5N1), or bird flu, the CDC said during a media briefing on Thursday. ARUP is one of five lab partners. The others are Quest Diagnostics, Labcorp, Aegis Sciences, and Ginkgo Bioworks.

"Our selection for this partnership recognizes ARUP's 40-year history of quality test development, our commitment to innovation, and our commitment to meeting public health needs," said Jonathan Genzen, MD, PhD, MBA, ARUP's chief medical officer and senior director of governmental affairs.

The partnership marks a shift for the CDC in that it enables ARUP and other commercial labs to work on testing solutions alongside the agency, rather than once a public health emergency arises, to make a test for bird flu available quickly if it is needed.

"ARUP wants to be a fully integrated partner in the delivery of public health services and clinical laboratory testing, and this contract opens doors for both," said Marc Couturier, PhD, ARUP's head of clinical operations for Clinical Microbiology and Immunology and medical director of Emerging Public Health Crisis, Parasitology/Fecal Testing, and Infectious Disease Antigen Testing.

The announcement came shortly after an individual in Missouri, who had no known contact with animals or poultry, became infected with an H5 virus. This is the first time a human has tested positive for H5 without a known source of the virus. Both the CDC and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services continue to investigate. The individual, who has since recovered, had underlying health conditions, according to the CDC.

A total of 15 human cases of bird flu have been identified in the United States since 2022. The CDC reports that 14 of those cases have been identified since April 2023. ARUP has been monitoring the spread of bird flu and began engaging in talks with the CDC more than a year ago.

"The new contract formalizes ARUP's relationship with the CDC, and there will be more opportunities for us to engage with them. We continue to expand our capabilities to address public health crises and are prepared to scale up testing for H5N1, or develop other tests quickly, should the need arise," said Benjamin Bradley, MD, PhD, medical director of the ARUP Institute for Research and Innovation in Infectious Disease Genomic Technologies, High Consequence Pathogen Response, Virology, and Molecular Infectious Diseases.

ARUP is committed to patient care, and investments in emerging infectious disease testing are one way the company demonstrates its dedication, said Bradley.

Learn more about ARUP's bird flu testing here.

About ARUP Laboratories

Founded in 1984, ARUP Laboratories is a leading national reference laboratory and a nonprofit enterprise of the University of Utah and its Department of Pathology. ARUP offers more than 3,000 tests and test combinations, ranging from routine screening tests to esoteric molecular and genetic assays. ARUP serves clients across the United States, including many of the nation's top university teaching hospitals and children's hospitals, as well as multihospital groups, major commercial laboratories, group purchasing organizations, military and other government facilities, and major clinics. In addition, ARUP is a worldwide leader in innovative laboratory research and development, led by the efforts of the ARUP Institute for Research and Innovation in Diagnostic and Precision Medicine™. ARUP is ISO 15189 CAP accredited.

ARUP Media Contact

Bonnie Stray, [email protected], 801-583-2787 ext. 2823

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