First testing kit for Chikungunya fever granted market approval

China has approved its first nucleic acid testing kit for chikungunya fever, authorities announced on Friday.

The kit was jointly developed by the National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, under the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and Daan Gene, a biotechnology company in Guangdong province.

The testing kit has recently been granted market authorization by the National Medical Products Administration.

The China CDC said that the entire process from the start of research to final approval took about three months thanks to coordinated support from health, disease control, and regulatory agencies.

The rapid development and approval of the testing kit are expected to enhance efforts to control the spread of chikungunya fever.

The approval comes as Guangdong province in southern China has been dealing with an outbreak of the disease since early July.