Kit to detect Anthrax developed

MYSORE: In a bid to ensure food safety due to bio terrorism and protect India’s biological wealth, the Defence Food Research Laboratory (DFRL) has come out with ‘Anthra-check Sand-E kit’ which provides a fast, reliable, cost effective and easy method for detection of Anthrax.The DRDE, Gwalior, has developed a rapid ELISA kit for the detection of B Anthracis (AnthroDec) targeting Protective Antigen (PA) component of Anthrax toxin. Evaluation undertaken by WHO SARO in 2002 concluded that the kit had fairly high sensitivity in detecting B Anthracis in clinical samples as well as in detecting spores from environmental samples after pre-treatment induction.The result was obtained in around two hours for clinical samples and more than 12 hours in cases of environmental samples and bacterial isolates.