May 12, 2009 (United Press International) -- Officials of Quest Diagnostics Inc. (NYSE:DGX) in Madison, N.J., announced the company has developed a test to aid in identifying influenza A H1N1 swine-origin.

"Our new laboratory test will be an important tool to help healthcare professionals and public health authorities identify infected patients more quickly, promoting earlier diagnosis and treatment," Dr. Jon R. Cohen, senior vice president and chief medical officer of Quest Diagnostics, said in a statement.

"This capability could be particularly important if the novel H1N1 virus continues to spread in the U.S. or re-emerges this fall or winter. Public health officials in the U.S. have done an exceptional job of managing the current Influenza emergency, and we continue to work closely with them to assist their preparedness efforts."

The test simultaneously detects the presence of Influenza A virus RNA and specifically identifies the presence of the novel H1N1 virus, Cohen said.

The expected turnaround time for reporting results is within 24 hours of receipt of specimen by the Focus Diagnostics laboratory.