Avian influenzas, particularly the highly pathogenic avian flu H5N1, have caused huge amounts of wild and agricultural birds to die or be culled over the past few years, and the virus has moved into many other animals, including dairy cows and pigs. About 52 Americans who work with infected livestock and dairy cows are known to have become infected with H5N1, along with a few other sporadic cases with unknown origins. Right now, H5N1 is not known to spread from an infected person to infect another person. In order to be infected, a person must come into contact with an infected animal right now, but viruses mutate, and experts are increasingly concerned that the virus could get better at infecting humans.
One problem with controlling H5N1 is that there has been a lack of reliable and rapid diagnostic tests that can quickly identify cases of H5N1 infection. But researchers have now developed an assay that can diagnose highly pathogenic H5N1 avian flu. The technology was created by scientists at The Diagnostics Development Hub (DxD Hub), a national platform hosted by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, and collaborators.
This test can offer more information than just a positive or negative result for H5N1 as well; it can also differentiate between strains of avian influenza that are highly pathogenic, and those that are considered to be of low pathogenicity. It can identify the highly pathogenic H5 strains H5N1, H5N5, and H5N6.
When highly pathogenic strains are identifies in poultry flocks, the birds have to be culled to stop the outbreak. But less pathogenic strains cause milder symptoms and less extreme control responses.
The assay also delivers results much quicker than those that rely on genetic testing. It can be performed in about three hours. Officials and workers at poultry facilities and those tasked with monitoring agricultural systems can use this test to improve what we know about how widely and quickly this virus is continuing to spread.
"Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus has caused mass mortality in chickens and wild birds not only in Japan but worldwide. Recently, infections have also been confirmed in seals, cats, cattle, and even from cattle to humans, drawing attention as a potential next pandemic virus," said Dr. Onuma Manabu, Head of the NIES Biodiversity Resource Conservation Office.
"Such events highlight the virus's rapid mutation, emphasizing the importance of establishing an effective surveillance system and developing faster detection methods that can promptly adapt to virus mutation to prevent the spread of infection. The kit developed in our joint project meets this demand, and its widespread use is expected to alleviate public anxiety and allow for a more flexible response to the spread of infection."
Sources: Medical Express, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore