Bali Orders Rockeby Biomed Avian Rapid Flu Test

Main Category: Bird Flu / Avian Flu
Article Date: 09 Aug 2006 - 0:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   opinions  

Australian diagnostic group Rockeby biomed Ltd (RBY:AX) has secured a contract to supply its Avian Flu Rapid test to the Indonesian island of Bali after recent reports of outbreaks of avian flu.

Indonesian farming authorities have ordered 2000 of Rockeby's tests after hundreds of dead chickens onBali were tested positive for the H5N1 strain of bird flu. Around 300 birds died of the virus in Bali's westernmost Jembrana district.

The World Health Organization has said that limited human-to-human transmission could have occurred in a family on Sumatra island, the location of the world's largest cluster of human infections. Indonesian health authorities moved quickly to cull large populations of domestic ducks and chickens on Bali earlier this year after birds became ill.

Rockeby biomed chief executive Dr Sze-Wee Tan said the company's avian flu tests were recognised by the Indonesian authorities as being the most effective in detecting the outbreak of avian flu amongst poultry populations.

"Since our avian flu test obtained the registration approval from the Indonesia Vet Agency two weeks ago, we've just received the first order of 2,000 tests to supply to the private farms for this fresh outbreak," Dr Tan said.

"Our tender exercise with the Indonesian government health agency is still ongoing. " Rockeby's avian flu test has received registration license by the Indonesia authorities and has received the registration license signed by the Director Generale. Only two tests have received the license for (Vet.) avian flu rapid test in Indonesia to date: Anigen and Rockeby.

Dr Tan, who is an eminent Singapore public health expert, said Indonesia is taking precautions to control outbreaks of the avian flu and he was actively involved in training the Indonesia health and veterinary agencies at the Queensland University of Technology during July.

Rockeby is negotiating with a number of health authorities around the world where outbreaks have occurred including Italy, Turkey and Romania.

Rockeby biomed:

Rockeby biomed Limited is an ASX-listed (ASX: RBY) Singapore based biotechnology company specializing in research, development and marketing of rapid testing technologies for infectious disease in humans and animals.

The company's core specialization is the development of rapid testing diagnostics.

http://www.rockeby.com/

• Additional
• References
• Citations