New diagnostic kit distinguishes between dengue & chikungunya virus.

a new diagnostic kit can distinguish dengue from chikungunya virus faster. Developed by the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram, the kit helps in distinguishing between the two viruses within two to three days of symptoms showing up. Symptoms of the two diseases are more or less similar and regular tests take at least a week to detect. The test was conducted only in chikungunya-affected districts in Kerala. The scientists tested 120 samples, of which 65 per cent tested positive for chikungunya.