#1129
Our inablity to rapidly and accurately detect the H5N1 virus has been a major barrier to controling outbreaks, both in poultry, and in humans.
Today, it can literally take days to confirm if a patient has the H5N1 virus. Precious time that we can't afford to squander should the virus acquire the ability to pass easily from human to human.
The only real hope of quashing an outbreak lies in it's early detection.
The newswires have been abuzz of news of a 30-minute test, developed by the Singapore-based Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, that reportedly could solve this problem.
We've heard of rapid test kits before, of course, but thus far they have not been widely distributed. If the early press on this test is accurate, and if it can be quickly manufactured and widely distributed, then perhaps this test will truly make a difference.
Portable bird flu detector
Last Modified: 24 Sep 2007
Source: PA NewsScientists have revealed a portable bird flu detector that can spot the deadly H5N1 virus in less than 30 minutes.
The palm-sized device uses throat swabs or stool samples from humans and poultry.
Dr Masafumi Inoue, one of the researchers from the Singapore-based Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, said it could help fight an outbreak by providing early warnings.
Current bird flu tests take about three to four hours to complete and must be conducted in a laboratory, he said.
The device could potentially be 40 to 100 times cheaper than current bird flu detection tests, said Dr Inoue. It can also be adapted to test for severe acute respiratory syndrome, HIV and hepatitis B.
Research on the testing tool was published in an advance online edition of the journal Nature Medicine.
"It may well be the answer to all our prayers, but we don't know anything about it yet," said Peter Cordingley, spokesman for the World Health Organisation's Western Pacific region.
Avian influenza has killed at least 200 people worldwide, but remains hard for people to catch. Experts fear it could mutate into a form that spreads easily among humans, potentially sparking a pandemic.
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