New reagent from CDC to speed up tests

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: A new reagent to directly test samples for the influenza A (H1N1) virus will enable the Health Ministry to cut down the waiting time for results to be produced.
Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the new reagent which would be sent by the Center for Disease Control in the United States, would allow quicker tests to determine the existence of the H1N1 virus in a given sample.
“Currently, there must be one test to determine if the sample is the A-type influenza which will take six hours for results,” he told a press conference yesterday after visiting the Institute for Medical Research.
“Another test, which will take 10 hours, must then be done to determine what sub-type it is,” he said.
Liow added that specific testing for the exact strain would then take a week or two for results.
He said if results for the third test were positive for the H1N1 virus, then it would be categorised as a confirmed case, but if the sub-type could not be determined, it would be categorised as a probable case.
On a related matter, Liow said thermal scanners would also be placed at the airports in Sabah, Sarawak and Penang to step up Malaysia’s precautionary measures in light of a confirmed H1N1 case in Hong Kong.
“These airports have flights coming in from Hong Kong, so this measure needs to be done,” he said.