Faster test to detect H7N9 virus in Hong Kong chicken

[Pathfinder]

Faster test to detect H7N9 virus in Hong Kong chicken

Monday, 08 April, 2013, 4:18pm

A new test for the H7N9 virus on all live chicken sold in Hong Kong will be introduced this week, the health minister said on Monday morning.

The test, which could come by Wednesday, will be designed to get results in just a few hours, Food and Health Secretary Dr Ko Wing-man said on a RTHK radio programme. That?s a quick turnaround compared with four days for the current H7 test, which Ko calls insufficient.

All live chicken in Hong Kong ? including those being raised locally or imported from the mainland on a daily basis ? should undergo the test before being sold to consumers, he said.
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The mainland has culled more than 98,000 poultry and instituted a ban on public contact with pigeons, local media reported.
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http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/...ter-test-detect-h7n9-virus-chickens-hong-kong

 

[JJackson]

Re: Faster test to detect H7N9 virus in Hong Kong chicken

Does anyone know what they are referring to? I was not aware there were any cheap, fast, reliable, tests for any type of flu. The article is implying pretesting of millions of chickens.

 

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: Faster test to detect H7N9 virus in Hong Kong chicken

Does anyone know what they are referring to? I was not aware there were any cheap, fast, reliable, tests for any type of flu. The article is implying pretesting of millions of chickens.

Reading about tests from INDEXX, they have one test that has results in 2 hours! Some of their literature refers to a "monitored" flock - maybe that's how they're "testing" the millions of birds. That test is already available in Taiwan. They don't show H7N9 on their list of tested subtypes for that one test, but it could be added.

The have another test for just A AB only. Reading the directions, it takes about 2 hours.

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