Health Ministry shies away from molecular diagnostic Zika testing

Although the Woodlands Hospital has entered into partnership with Co-diagnostics, a US molecular diagnostics company, to commence Zika virus testing, Public Health Minister Dr George Norton said the ministry has no interest in that type of testing.

Norton stated that the ministry had met with the US company and it had pitched its “cutting edge” services of molecular testing for zika, however, the ministry has “no intention of jumping into anything that has not been proven or tested.”

He explained that that method of testing is not established in the United States of America or any of the countries in the Americas.

Co-diagnostics is at the forefront of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology, creating a new class of molecular diagnostics, providing fast, reliable, accurate and affordable PCR testing, causing clients to save thousands of dollars. It has made a giant leap forward in DNA test design by making PCR more accurate, faster to develop and much less expensive to administer.

Among its wide line of specialised testing is the detection of the Zika virus. Co-diagnostics own the most modern-patented technology that tests for Zika and other mosquito-borne diseases. The molecular diagnostic test can also test where there is a mutation of mosquitoes that can possibly be infected with Zika.

In October managing director of the Woodlands Hospital had stated that the institution is moving from the rapid testing for the zika virus since research has shown that many of the devices used for the test have yielded false positive results in the past. But with this novel method of testing, patients will be able to receive their results in less than an hour. It was reported that many doctors were referring their sick patients from different hospitals to the Woodlands to test for the virus.

The zika virus is transmitted to people primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito, which is the same mosquito that spreads dengue and Chikungunya viruses. These mosquitoes typically lay eggs in and near standing water in receptacles like buckets, bowls, animal dishes, flower pots and vases. They prefer to bite people, and live indoors and outdoors near people. According to the hospital and US company, the technician would use a saliva or blood sample to test for the virus presence, which could easily distinguish between the virus and its cousin viruses. Nevertheless, Norton stated that this testing is not recognised in the Americas and it is only now trying to sell it in India.

“This is something we will definitely not rush into because we have a budget for health and we don’t want to use it on anything that might not give any results,” the minister stated.