Scientists Say Develop New SARS Tracing Method
Fri Jun 4, 2004 11:20 AM ET
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Scientists in Singapore said on Friday they had developed a faster method of detecting strains of the SARS virus.
A new chip containing a "genetic fingerprint" reduces the length of molecular testing of the disease to three days from about one week, the Genome Institute of Singapore said.
The faster a strain of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is pin-pointed, the quicker health workers can identify the origin of an outbreak and who else may be infected - critical steps in bringing outbreaks under control.
SARS infected about 8,000 people worldwide in 2003, killing nearly 800 including 33 in Singapore. It briefly re-emerged in China in April, killing one person.
Article: http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=healthNews&storyID=5347890