Applied Biosystems to sell rapid avian flu detection kits in Europe, Asia, Africa

By Elaine Rigoli

Tampa, Fla., March 13 - Applied Biosystems announced the commercial availability in Europe, Asia and Africa of its TaqMan influenza A/H5 detection kit, which is capable of rapidly and reliably detecting multiple strains of avian influenza in laboratory samples.

The kits can detect the presence of the avian influenza virus in fewer than three hours. In comparison, traditional cell-culture testing takes from two to 10 days to confirm avian influenza infections, according to a company news release.

The Applied Biosystems kits include standardized reagents and an accompanying protocol run on real-time PCR (polymerase chain reaction) platforms, a technology widely used by life science researchers.

"We are delivering on the European, Asian and African public health community's call for an early warning system for avian influenza," president Lars Holmkvist said in a company statement.

The detection kits, manufactured in Warrington, England, are commercially available in Europe, Asia and Africa and have already been shipped to public health departments and veterinary laboratories in many European countries, including Switzerland, Finland, Germany, Italy, Poland, as well as several countries in Africa and the Middle East.

To ensure availability of the kits in the event of an outbreak, Applied Biosystems said it intends to stockpile materials in the United Kingdom and Japan to enable a more rapid response to kit production and distribution.

This test is not available for sale in the United States, the release said.

Applied Biosystems develops instrument-based systems, consumables, software and services, and has headquarters in Foster City, Calif.

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