New Delhi, Nov 23 (IANS) A premier defence laboratory has developed a swine flu detection kit and the process for transferring the technology for commercialization has also been initiated, parliament was informed Monday.
“The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed a rapid and cost-effective swine flu virus specific isothermal gene amplification assay for reliable and early clinical diagnosis of H1N1 in human patients,” Defence Minister A.K. Antony said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.

“It is a single-tube method and cost-effective as compared to WHO approved Centre for Disease Control (CDC) recommended real-time Reverse Transcriptase (RT) Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test system,” the minister said.

“The assay is based on the principle of the isothermal gene amplification protocol. No expensive real-time PCR equipment is required as the result can be monitored by the naked eye,” Antony added.

The DRDO developed method gives results in an hour as compared to the three-four hours required for the WHO-approved CDC-recommended kit.

The DRDO kit has been validated at the National Centre for Disease Control, Delhi; Post Graduate Institute, Chandigarh and the National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences, Bangalore.

“The process for transfer of technology for commercialization has also been initiated,” Antony said.

Swine flu has so far claimed over 550 lives and affected over 16,500 people in India.