August 30, 2005

Anthrax detection in an hour

US scientists have developed a method that can detect anthrax within an hour through an infected blood sample.

Currently, methods depend on injecting live animals or cell cultures with samples for analysis and require up to several days for results.

Moreover, the new method developed produces unambiguous results, said researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases and the National Cancer Institute.

This will be useful in developing quick and reliable methods to diagnose anthrax infections, they added.