A test kit which will drastically shorten the time needed to diagnose SARS has been approved for production.

The fluorescence diagnostic kit using a highly sensitive reagent called PCR was approved by State drug supervisors Sept. 30, the Daily Sunshine reported Saturday, citing a source at the China Hi-Tech Fair Exhibition Center.

It was developed by PG Biotech, a Shenzhen company, Donghu Hospital and the AIDS and venereal disease center of China CDC.

The result of a test can take as little as two hours to confirm a SARS virus infection, much quicker than the 14 days previously needed to confirm a diagnosis.

The firm, which has the capacity to manufacture 30 million kits a year, had received its first orders from the Ministry of Health. The kit will be promoted nationwide.

Two other companies had been approved to produce SARS test kits worldwide, the newspaper said.

(Shenzhen Daily October 13, 2003)