Qiagen wins Singapore contract for bird flu test kits

Venlo, Netherlands-based diagnostics giant Qiagen has been awarded an exclusive contract by the Singapore Ministry of Health to supply sample preparation solutions and molecular tests for the specific detection of influenza H5N1 viruses - better known as avian flu.

For the country's preparedness program, Qiagen provides both fully-automated and manual sample preparation technologies for the extraction of viral nucleic acids. These are complemented by test kits for specific and sensitive detection of the highly pathogenic avian influenza strain. The contract runs for three years and the volume depends on minimum stockpiling levels, as well as the level of intensity of the country's surveillance program.

The contract with the Singapore Ministry of Health is the latest supply agreement of Qiagen with public and private institutions engaged in H5N1 surveillance. More than 80 institutes worldwide involved in the detection of avian flu infection use procedures and reagents developed and offered by the Dutch firm.