A reagent kit to detect severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) virus antigen has been approved to be produced and sold by the State Food and Drag Administration (SFDA).

The reagent is able to find out SARS virus in the blood of a patient who became ill one to ten days before, the SFDA said.

It is very sensitive and safe as well as less expensive and easy to use, the source added.

There are three ways to detect SARS virus, the antibody, nucleic acid and antigen of the virus, said Yi Hongzhang, a SFDA official.

So far reagents to detect the antibody and nucleic acid of SARS virus have been sold in China.

(Xinhua News Agency June 14, 2004)