Enterovirus is a genus of positive-sense single-stranded RNA viruses associated with several human and mammalian diseases. This virus may cause mild or moderate symptoms such as cold, fever, and infectious conditions and can be dangerous if spreads to the central nervous system. People with health conditions such as heart conditions, brain diseases, and pneumonia are at higher risk of getting this infection. Enteroviruses testing kits are used to extract a DNA sample from the body. Test kits use polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to make billions of copies of extracted DNA for detailed study in laboratories.
The enteroviruses testing kit market is witnessing robust growth due to the increasing incidence of enteroviruses around the world, especially in North America. Echovirus and coxsackievirus are the two most common ones. Enteroviruses also cause polio and hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), each year, non-polio Enteroviruses cause around 10 to 15 million infections and tens of thousands of hospitalizations in the United States. Most people who get infected with these viruses do not get sick or they only have mild to moderate symptoms, such as the common cold.
Thus, with the increasing incidence of enteroviruses, the demand for enteroviruses testing kits is also increasing, which in turn, is driving the Enteroviruses testing kit market growth. Market players are adopting various strategies to curb the spread of viral infections. For example, in June 2020, Twist Bioscience launched a new research panel focused on identifying respiratory diseases, such as coronaviruses, adenoviruses, enteroviruses, and respiratory syncytial virus. Moreover, the growth of the enteroviruses testing kit market, in North America and Europe, is attributed to the increasing research and development for the diagnosis of enterovirus diseases.
For instance, in May 2019, QIAGEN launched its QIAstat-Dx syndromic testing system after receiving 510(k) clearance by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA), along with the QIAstat-Dx respiratory panel for simultaneous qualitative detection and identification of multiple respiratory viral and bacterial pathogens, such as enteroviruses. However, during the enterovirus testing, different parts of the testing kit come into contact with patients, which may lead to an increased risk of infection. Moreover, enterovirus testing involves the use of PCR, which requires a high cost for set-up. The aforementioned factors are expected to restrain the enteroviruses testing kit market growth.
Diagnosis of enterovirus infections can be achieved with serological tests, viral isolation by cell culture, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR).