Influenza (flu) is a contagious disease of the upper respiratory system caused due to influenza virus. The two types of influenza are seasonal and pandemic. There are three main types of seasonal influenza, namely influenza A, B, and C. It is transmitted from public places through sneeze and droplets of infected person who serve as a carrier of the disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in U.S. Influenza resulted in 49,000,000 symptomatic illnesses and 79,000 deaths in 2017-2018. High risk of influenza infection is observed in pregnant women, pediatrics, geriatrics, patients with low immunity that suffer from chronic illness, and healthcare professionals.

Influenza Diagnostics Market – Dynamics

High prevalence of influenza and increasing research funding for influenza diagnostics are major factors that are expected to drive the market growth over the forecast period. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), influenza is expected to result in around 3 to 5 million cases of severe illness and around 290,000 to 650,000 deaths in 2018 worldwide. In 2014, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) collaborated with The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Autoimmune Disease Coordinating Committee (ADCC) and supports The Center of Excellence in Influenza Research and Surveillance (CIERS) to advance the understanding of influenza virus. High geriatric population prone to influenza, increasing awareness about the disease along with high demand for advanced and more efficient influenza diagnostic tests are expected to drive growth of the influenza diagnostics market.

Influenza Diagnostics Market – Regional insights

North America accounted for the largest market share in the global influenza diagnostics market. This is owing to robust initiatives of CDC toward controlling the spread of the disease by actively implementing preventive measures and recognizing the disease through its National Influenza Surveillance System. Increasing availability of Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) in the U.S. has further boosted these implementations.

Asia Pacific is expected to witness rapid growth in the market during the forecast period, owing to actively participation of countries for preventive measures to counter the incidence of the influenza. For instance, in 2014 CDC funds nine non-researched-related bilateral influenza cooperative agreement in South-East Asian Region (SEAR), as a measure to respond to avian, seasonal, and pandemic influenza.

Influenza Diagnostics Market – Competitive landscape

Major players operating in the global influenza diagnostics market include, Roche Diagnostics, Becton, Dickinson and Company, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Alere, Quidel Corporation, and others. Key players in the market are focused on research and development activities in order to offer diagnostic devices that are cost-effective and efficient. For instance, in 2016, Roche received the U.S. FDA clearance and Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) waiver for its cobas Influenza A/B & RSV test. The test is used with the cobas Liat system and assists in molecular testing of flu A/B and RSV.

Key Development

In February 2019, Abbott Laboratories launched reformulated BinaxNow A & B Card 2 rapid Influenza test. BinaxNow A & B Card 2, which is an in vitro immunochromatographic assay for the detection of influenza.
In February 2019, Eurofins Viracor, Inc., has introduced aloxavir marboxil (XOFLUZA) Influenza which is an Antiviral Resistance PCR test for the detection of I38T/M/F mutations in H3N2.
In 2018, Sekisui Diagnostics launched Silaris Influenza A&B test in collaboration with Mesa Biotech, Inc.
In 2018, Abbott Laboratories, acquired Alere Inc., a diagnostic device and service provide, which strengthened the company's diagnostics presence in the global market.
In 2016, Roche received the U.S. FDA clearance and Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) waiver for its real-time PCR test, cobas Influenza A/B & RSV test. The test is used with the cobas Liat system and assists in molecular testing of flu A/B and RSV

Influenza Diagnostics Market Taxonomy:

On the basis of test type, the global influenza diagnostics market is segmented into:

Traditional Diagnostic Tests

- Rapid Influenza Diagnostic Tests (RIDT)
- Viral Culture
- Direct Fluorescent Antibody (DFA) Tests
- Serological Assays

Molecular Diagnostic Assays

- RT-PCR
- Nucleic Acid Sequence-Based Amplification (NASBA) Tests
- Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification-Based Assays (LAMP)
- Simple Amplification-Based Assays (SAMBA)
- Others

On the basis of end user, the global influenza diagnostics market is segmented into: