Vivantis launch a rapid detection kit for the Zika virus

Several countries are under threat of the Zika virus. Many of these countries have raised their respective alerts against a possible outbreak of the virus.  Recently alerts were issued after new cases of Zika virus infections were reported in Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines. Health experts have warned that Asia could be the next area of widespread outbreaks of the virus after South and Central America, including the U.S.

In Singapore, the number of Zika virus cases raised to 275 in just ten days when the outbreak was first reported on 27 August 2016, alarming the country's Ministry of Health. On 13 September 2016, the Philippines recorded 8 confirmed cases while Malaysia reported a total of 6 confirmed cases and 40 suspected cases as of 12 September 2016. Lancet Infectious Diseases published a new model showing China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Bangladesh, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan as countries expected to be at greatest risk of a Zika virus epidemic.  

In response to the need to fast detection of the virus, Vivantis, a leading manufacturer at the forefront of real-time PCR technology has developed the ViPrimePlus Zika Virus RT-qPCR kit. The Taqman probe-based real-time PCR assay has been developed for the detection of the Zika Virus genome in clinical samples such as blood, serum and urine.

The kit contains primers and Taqman® probe that target the polyprotein gene. In this one-step real-time RT-PCR, reverse transcription of this viral RNA is combined with the qPCR step in a single tube reaction. This closed-tube assay reduces the chances of contamination and improves the sensitivity of the test.

The kit is included with International Extraction Control (IEC) as inhibition control and positive control, giving you a more reliable quantification and confirmation of results.

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