Canadian researchers create tool to predict avian flu outbreaks

According to news release on the university’s website, the new nanobiosensor can detect the strains of H5N1 and H1N1. The most recent outbreak was from H5N2, which is similar to H5N1.Prof. Suresh Neethirajan of the School of Engineering noted that with some architecture modifications, the developed biosensing technique has the potential to detect the H5N2 […]

According to news release on the university’s website, the new nanobiosensor can detect the strains of H5N1 and H1N1. The most recent outbreak was from H5N2, which is similar to H5N1.
Prof. Suresh Neethirajan of the School of Engineering noted that with some architecture modifications, the developed biosensing technique has the potential to detect the H5N2 strain as well.
The researchers devised a real-time way to analyse chicken and other farm birds for avian influenza. The tool uses a small blood sample and relies on a simple chemical colour change to see not only whether a chicken has avian influenza but also what viral strain is involved.
“This test only needs two to three minutes to incubate, and then you get the results immediately. Not only that, it is more cost-effective. Conventional techniques are time-consuming and labour-intensive, and require special facilities and expensive laboratory instruments,” the researcher stated.
Professor Neethirajan noted that the current tests require samples to be sent to a lab, where it can take eight hours to a couple of days to yield results and that’s too long, Treatment, especially when dealing with humans who have been infected, needs to start as soon as possible.
The device uses gold nanoparticles (microscopic particles) and glowing quantum dots. The researchers developed a novel approach for rapid and sensitive detection of surface proteins of viruses from blood samples of turkeys.
“That is why we designed it so that the final colour changes based on what type of influenza it is, and it can differentiate between a human strain and a bird strain,” said Neethirajan.