New portable biosensor detects avian influenza

A portable biosensor for in-field, rapid screening of avian influenza virus has been developed by an interdisciplinary team of researchers led by Yanbin Li, professor of biological engineering in the University of Arkansas' Division of Agriculture, Fayetteville.

The device specifically and sensitively detects the avian influenza strain H5N1 from poultry cloacal and tracheal swab samples in less than 30 minutes and could help health officials coordinate a rapid response for the eradication, quarantine, and vaccination of animals.

"Rapid detection is the key to controlling the spread of avian influenza," Li says. "Techniques currently used to detect the disease are either time consuming, too expensive, or not specific to subtypes of avian influenza viruses. Our device provides robust and reliable results and introduces the concept of real-time detection to facilitate a coordinated and rapid response."

Avian influenza virus H5N1 was discovered in the late 1990s. Animal cases have been noted in more than 46 countries, and 10 have reported human infection. As of early this year, according to the World Health Organization, 269 people have been infected, and 163 have died since 2003 due to avian influenza. A draft report of the Federal government's emergency plan predicts that as many as 200,000,000 Americans could be infected and 200,000 could die within a few months if an avian influenza pandemic were to reach our shores.

In the U.S., a 2001 and 2002 outbreak of low pathogenic avian influenza, which poses no threat to humans, resulted in the loss of more than 4,500,000 chickens and turkeys and is estimated to have cost the poultry industry approximately $125,000,000. According to a World Bank report, by mid 2005, more than 140,000,000 birds had died or been destroyed worldwide, and losses to the poultry industry are estimated to be more than $10,000,000,000.

The biosensor is a portable instrument designed for field use. It can be operated as a stand-alone instrument or connected to a laptop computer for data acquisition, analysis, and control. Li indicates that he expects the device to be ready for commercial production in one year. As a commercial product, the biosensor would cost less than $8,000, Li predicts, and testing fees would be less than $10 per sample.

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