Test for early detection of Sars

By Chris Hogg
BBC Hong Kong Correspondent

Sars is caused by the Corona virus

Scientists say they have developed a new test for the virus that causes Sars which could lead to earlier detection of the disease.

The procedure, developed by the National Taiwan University, produces results in two to three days.

Other tests which look for antibodies produced by the body to fight the Corona Virus can take much longer.

The earlier a case of Sars is detected, the less chance there is that a patient will spread the disease to others.

The new test picks up substances called antigens which are produced by the virus.

These are the compounds which trigger the body's immune system to product antibodies to try to fend off the virus' attack.

Many of the other tests for Sars developed last winter only work once the antibodies have been produced.

The researchers in Taiwan say their procedure has proved to be accurate in a much shorter timeframe than those existing tests.

Researcher Chang Ming-fu said: "The testings have displayed a high degree of accuracy."

Safer collection

They have also developed a new method to collect specimens from patients' saliva by rinsing the mouth with water.

This means that healthworkers can reduce their chances of catching the Sars virus because they do not have to get close to the patient to carry out a throat swab to collect saliva for the tests.

The World Health Organisation says Sars has killed more than 770 people world-wide.

Many of those were healthworkers treating infected patients.

Outbreaks in Taiwan, Hong Kong and China affected thousands of people and caused damage to their economies from which they are only now recovering.

A spokesperson for the UK Health Protection Agency told BBC News Online: "It is inevitable that we will see an upsurge in the number of new tests for Sars and one of the biggest gaps in the diagnosis of Sars is the early detection of the disease, so tests such as this which specifically address this issue are welcomed.

"However, it is important that each new test is evaluated for its effectiveness and accuracy."