The BlackBerry and RIM families ofrelated marks, images and symbols are the exclusive properties and trademarks ofResearch In Motion Limited. Diagnostic devices can be as simple asstrips of paper or plastic cassettes. These simple tests do not requirehighly skilled laboratory staff and can be done in the field with resultsusually available within the next ten to fifteen minutes.Curt Malloy, SVP Operations and General Counsel of IDRI, said, "Chembiohas significant experience in the development, manufacturing anddistribution of diagnostic tests, particularly in the developing world.IDRI will provide the reagents for the test and, with our financialsupport, Chembio will develop a reliable diagnostic device that can bemanufactured at low-cost. "This would dramatically improveearly detection of visceral leishmaniasis, making current treatments moreeffective and decreasing transmission rates."Rapid diagnostic tests are made of two major components: the reagentswhich are selected to react with specific immunologic components presentin the blood of infected patients, and the device which acts as aphysical support for the reagents. Steven Reed, Founder and Head ofIDRI's Research and Development Program.
In thesechallenging conditions, the traditional labor-intensive and complexdiagnostic procedures -- invasive removal of bone marrow, spleen and lymphnode tissues for microscopic examination and isolation of the parasite byculture -- are neither feasible nor field-friendly."We are actively working to develop a rapid and simple test that could beused in the field in Africa to diagnose visceral leishmaniasis by using nomore than a drop of blood," said Dr. In these settings, the diseaseoften co-exists with malaria and other debilitating parasitic infectionsthat exhibit similar symptoms, making diagnosis difficult. This announcement wasmade at the 96th Annual Meeting of the American Association ofImmunologists (Immunology 2009) held May 8-12 in Seattle, WA.Most visceral leishmaniasis cases occur in poor populations living inremote areas far from healthcare centers. This step is critical to IDRI's program funded under agrant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for the development ofaccurate, rapid and affordable methods of diagnosis for patientssuffering from visceral leishmaniasis in Africa. (a wholly owned subsidiary of ChembioDiagnostics, Inc.) (OTCBB: CEMI) and the Infectious Disease ResearchInstitute (IDRI) today announced they have entered into a milestone-basedagreement pursuant to which Chembio will use its patented dual pathplatform technology (DPP(R)) and other Chembio capabilities to design,develop and manufacture a low-cost device for the diagnosis of visceralleishmaniasis. MEDFORD, NY, May 11 (MARKET WIRE) -- Chembio Diagnostic Systems, Inc.
AirPlus InternationalRana WalkerMarketing and Communications+1 (703) Copyright Business Wire 2009. AirPlus istravel agency neutral, the leading issuer of UATP worldwide and the preferredpartner and various airlines such as Air China, British Airways (NYSE:BAB),Continental Airlines (NYSE:CAL), Luxair, Lufthansa German Airlines, AustrianAirlines, Swiss International Air Lines, TAP Portugal and Singapore Airlines.For more information, please visit us online at , contribute toour blog at and follow us at may contact: Rana Walker, Marketing and Communications at +1 (703)373-0947 or . AirPlus International is a provider of savings to over 32,000 customersworldwide through a suite of business travel payment solutions which includecentral bill accounts, corporate cards and online management tools. We invite others in the industry to get involved andbolster the conversation." The Wire?from AirPlus is a monthly report on the pulse of the industry and itsrelevant topics. Results of this edition are based on a survey of 174 travelmanagement professionals in North America and Europe in April 2009. It`s an ideal place toshare ideas, obtain recent research, participate in polls and learn aboutindustry trending topics.
"In fact, our online community provides a platform for our customers, partners andcolleagues in the business travel industry to connect. And, we`ve found that inspiring the online dialogue yields us opencommunication, creative ideas and innovations," said Richard Crum, President ofAirPlus International, Inc. For a free pdf download of the results, visitour online community and watch our video commentary at. "At AirPlus, we are active participants in many of the social media platforms,such as Linkedin, Twitter and Facebook because they foster growth throughnetworking. The report highlights corporate travel professionals` interest insocial media; with more than 71% indicating that they personally participate inone or more social media platforms and another 65% suggesting that by doing so,it benefits them professionally.