A low-cost kit to rapidly detect avian influenza, before the virus causes mass mortality, has been developed by a South African researcher, who is trying to find takers in India for his product.
Thiyani Lebea, a microbiologist associated with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, is in the city with a South African delegation to promote Bio Africa, the continent’s first biotechnology conference on the lines of Bio Asia. The delegation met Indian biotech businessmen on Saturday, and some technologies developed in South Africa, including Dr. Lebea’s product, was discussed.
“The kit can help detect influenza in a few hours with a blood sample. It can tell whether the strain is pathogenic, which can help save the virus from spreading to other birds or farms,” Dr. Lebea said, adding that the cost to test one sample would work out to around $7 for the end user.
The product consists of a kit where the sample is placed, and a device which reads it. According to the microbiologists, the device uses Isothermal Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) to amplify and detect the virus.
Bird flu protocols in most countries require sending samples to a lab for testing. Depending on the size of the sample, a confirmation could take days to two weeks, says Dr. Lebea. In India, samples are sent to the Bhopal-based National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases. The last case of bird flu outbreak was reported in Karnataka last month. Telangana reported its first case of bird flu in 2015 when over one lakh birds were culled.
“During the time samples are being tested in the lab, the virus can spread and affect other farms. If the birds are not killed by the virus, they need to be culled even if a farm is suspected before test results arrive,” Dr. Lebea said, pointing to economical losses caused by the virus.
With high accuracy rapid detection on the farm, suspected birds can be quarantined, while bio-safety control protocols can be initiated in a much a conserved manner.
“Our kit has shown that it works with high efficiency in laboratory conditions. The prototype is now being field-tested in Eastern African where it will be tested during the outbreak season that runs from July to November,” Dr. Lebea said.
