Last weekend, a biotechnology company from Singapore announced two new rapid tests for avian influenza, capable of delivering results in just 10 minutes.
The first test kit is designed for veterinary use, intended for testing feces, blood, and serum from poultry. It is the world’s first rapid test of this kind for avian influenza. The second kit is for human use, testing samples taken from the nose or throat of patients.
According to Rockeby Biomed, the manufacturer of these two new test kits, the tests rely on the immunological detection of avian influenza virus proteins, providing results in just 10 minutes. The cost of the poultry test kit is approximately $6, while the human test kit is priced around $10-12.
Previously, Veredus Laboratory in Singapore developed an avian influenza diagnostic kit that could detect the virus within 4 hours. In contrast, most current H5N1 tests must be conducted in laboratories and yield results after at least 11 hours, or even up to 2 days.
The rapid detection of avian influenza can help prevent an outbreak by isolating infected cases early. So far, avian influenza has spread from Asia to Europe and the Middle East, increasing concerns about the risk of a global influenza pandemic that could claim millions of lives.
TUONG VY (According to Xinhua)
