April 28, 2004

China Makes Breakthrough In Bird Flu Virus Test Technology
 

China secured a breakthrough when it successfully developed a multiple real-time fluorescent test reagent kit. The kit would be used for testing H5, H7 and H9 subgroups of the bird flu virus in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong province, according to the appraisal team for the new test approach.

Dubbed RT-PCR, the reagent kit is able to test three subgroups of avian influenza viruses simultaneously, instead of only one subgroup at a time previously.

This is believed to be the first time in the world that a reagent kit was developed to test more than one subgroup of the bird flu virus concurrently.

Experts from the appraisal team held that the test reagent kit is efficient and easy to use. It is suitable for poultry quarantine, human disease control and epidemiological investigation.

Avian influenza, or bird flu, is a severe infectious disease of waterfowl and poultry that has jumped to humans. The virus causes severe disease and death in people because human immune systems have little experience with it. Thus we have not developed a defense mechanism against it.

Blessed with a dense water network, Shenzhen is a transient home to migrant birds and a major supplier of live poultry for neighbouring Hong Kong.

As early as August 2002, the local quarantine bureau began to employ the fluorescent RT-PCR test approach to examine poultry to be supplied to Hong Kong. It took about four hours to process the test result.

To lower the test cost and raise test efficiency, researchers from the bureau have worked with their fellows from the Shenzhen Taitai Gene Co., Ltd. for three months to develop a new-type fluorescent RT-PCP reagent kit.

According to Liu Shengli, head of the local entry and exit quarantine bureau, the scientific outcome, with independent patent, has met the world standards.