Announcing new testing methods for Zika virus detection in 20 minutes

Brazil's Bahiafarma pharmaceutical company on May 31 announced a new test method to detect Zika virus within 20 minutes.

Bahiafarma said the new reagent was first produced and commercialized nationwide by the Brazilian Medical Supervisory Authority.

This new test method is a 10-month collaboration between Bahiafarma and Korea's Genbody technology company, which allows the detection of Zika virus at any stage of infection through antibody tomography that is supposed to be development in the source carries the virus.

Sharing with the press, Mr. Fabio Vilas Boas, Director of Bahia State Health Department, said that in previous test methods, samples should be analyzed in the laboratory, which could take weeks to produce. result.

Employee of Bahiafarma Pharmaceutical Company working in a laboratory in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil, on May 31.(Source: THX / TTXVN).

This new test quickly results in 20 minutes immediately after antibody separation from the blood.

In the first phase, the Brazilian Federal Ministry of Health expects to order 500,000 samples.

According to the latest figures of the Ministry, there are about 120,000 cases of suspected Zika virus, equivalent to the rate of 58.8 cases / 10,000 people, recorded during the period from 3 / 1-23 / 4 at 1,650 urban areas across the country.

Of these, 40,000 were identified as being infected with Zika. Bahia State is the region with the highest outbreak of disease, with 646 babies with small head syndrome.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirms that this disease is a congenital defect caused by pregnant women infected with Zika virus during pregnancy.

Discovered for the first time in Africa, the Zika virus then spread to Asia and Latin America, causing the strongest outbreak ever.

Currently more than 50 countries and territories have recorded cases of infection. Zika virus is transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquito, sex and blood transfusion with the most common symptoms when infected are fever, conjunctivitis, headache, muscle and joint pain, rash. So far, there is no preventive or specific vaccine for this virus.