Recently, Southeast Asian countries were threatened by Zika virus with several Southeast Asian nations have raised their respective alerts against the possible outbreak of the Zika virus. The alerts were issued after new cases of Zika virus infections were reported in Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines. Health xperts have warned that Asia could the next area of idespread outbreaks of the virus after South and Central America, including the U.S.

In Singapore, the number of Zika virus cases raised to 275 in just ten days when the outbreak was first reported on 27 August 2016, alarming the country’s Ministry of Health. [1] On 13 Sep 2016, Philippines recorded 8 confirmed cases while Malaysia reported total of 6 confirmed cases and 40 suspected cases as of 12 Sep 2016. [1] [2] [3] The Lancet Infectious Diseases published a new model showing China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Bangladesh, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan as countries expected to be at greatest risk of Zika virus epidemic.

Vivantis Technologies, a leading manufacturer at the forefront of real-time PCR technology has developed ViPrimePLUS Zika Virus RT-qPCR Kit – a Taqman probe-based real-time PCR assay for detection of Zika Virus genome in clinical samples (e.g. blood, serum, urine).

The kit contains primers and Taqman® probe that target the polyprotein gene. In this one-step real-time RT-PCR, reverse transcription of this viral RNA is combined with the qPCR step in a single tube reaction. This closed-tube assay reduces the chances of contamination and improves the sensitivity of the
test.

The kit is included with International Extraction Control (IEC) as inhibition control and positive control, giving you a more reliable quantification and confirmation of results.

“A great breakthrough achieved by Vivantis’s R&D team! We hope that the new ViPrimePLUS Zika Virus RT-qPCR Kit may help more scientists in advancing Zika virus research,” said Mr. EL Law, CEO of Revongen.

References
Komfie Manalo (Sep 14, 2016) , Southeast Asian Countries Issue Alert vs Zika Virus; Singapore, Malaysia, The Philippines, Other Tropical Nations Prone To Outbreak, Mobile & Apps. Retrieved Sep 15, 2016.

Astro Awani (Sep 13, 2016) Zika: Two new confirmed cases involving siblings – Health Minister. Retrieved Sep 15, 2016.

Astro Awani (Sep 12, 2016) Zika: 40 new suspected cases in Malaysia – Dr. S. Subramaniam. Retrieved
Sep 15, 2016.