Eurofins adds virus variant distinction to its SARS-CoV-2 monitoring solution for wastewater, food and environmental surfaces

Wednesday, February 17, 2021

Eurofins adds today virus variant monitoring capabilities to its commercially available SARS-CoV-2 stand-alone
test kit portfolio. This new solution is also part of the Eurofins Covid-19 Sentinel™ and the SAFER@WORK™
program which provide an early warning of the presence of SARS-CoV-2 amongst large populations at a given
site (e.g. a city, factories, education institutions, government and public service sites, nursing homes), before the
virus spreads too broadly.

At those sites, wastewater and environmental surface testing, offered as part of the Eurofins COVID-19
Sentinel™ programme, can give an early indication of the presence of SARS-CoV-2 variants, therefore allowing
for relevant containment measures in order to avoid an outbreak of the disease even before symptom onset, and
now also identifying the involved virus variants.

The VIRType SARS-CoV-2 Mplex (N501Y, A570D) kit provides all reagents for the rapid detection and distinction
of the SARS-CoV-2 UK (lineage B.1.1.7) or South Africa (lineage B.1.351) and Brazil (lineage P1) variants in
wastewater, food and on environmental surfaces via RT-qPCR. Single point mutations referring to the UK
(N501Y, A570D) or South Africa and Brazil lineages (N501Y) respectively help to distinguish between the two
SARS-CoV-2 variant types. The kit can be used as a confirmatory assay and is part of the VIRSeek product line,
including efficient RNA extraction by using the VIRSeek RNAExtractor as well as highly specific subsequent
SARS-CoV-2 detection by using the VIRSeek SARS-CoV-2 Mplex.

The VIRSeek solution is already successfully being used in many countries worldwide for the quantification of
SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater as an early pandemic indicator for communities. We will shortly add a quantitative
approach focusing to determine SARS-CoV-2 variant distribution in the wastewater delivering crucial information
for monitoring viral spread.

For further information:

Nadine Göhring
kits@eurofins.com

About Eurofins Technologies

Building on the experience and scientific excellence of the Eurofins Group, Eurofins Technologies is a fast-growing global provider of diagnostic technologies and industry-leading ELISA-based instruments in the field of bioanalytical testing for the food, feed, environmental, animal health, and clinical diagnostics industries.

For further information, visit the Eurofins Technologies website.

About Eurofins – the global leader in bio-analysis

Eurofins is Testing for Life. With over 50,000 staff across a network of more than 800 laboratories in over 50 countries, Eurofins’ companies offer a portfolio of over 200,000 analytical methods.

Eurofins Shares are listed on Euronext Paris Stock Exchange.

Eurofins unveils the new Food Assurance International Business Line and brand by pooling existing synergies within the Group. The new business line will complete and complement Eurofins’ Food & Feed testing offering.
Visit the new website!
Follow us on LinkedIn!