December 27, 2004

New Test Agent Able To Detect Bird Flu In 30 Minutes

Clinical diagnostic maker Eiken Chemical Co and the National Institute of Infectious Diseases jointly launched sales Friday of reagent that is able to detect bird flu virus infection in birds or humans in about 30 minutes, compared with more than several hours with existing methods.

The two expect the reagent to draw demand from research institutes and poultry farms. In preventing the illness from spreading, determining the infection as soon as possible is vital.