Dublin-based life sciences company Assay Genie has launched new ELISA-based hantavirus antibody detection kits, offering researchers a rapid and reliable means of studying immune responses following exposure to the virus, in the wake of the deadly MV Hondius cruise ship outbreak, according to the Irish Independent.

The kits detect IgG and IgM antibodies, key immune markers produced after infection, and deliver results within 1.5 hours. Designed for research use only and not intended for clinical diagnosis, the kits are compatible with standard laboratory equipment and suitable for high-throughput testing.

Assay Genie chief executive Dr Colm Ryan said: "Speed matters. When you're dealing with a virus that can progress quickly, laboratories need tools that deliver answers fast. Our hantavirus assays are designed to give clear, actionable results in under two hours."

Dr Ryan added that the company has already received inquiries from organisations in Saudi Arabia, China, Jordan, and the Philippines since the launch.

The MV Hondius outbreak resulted in three passenger deaths, with a number of cases confirmed as the Andes strain of hantavirus, which carries a 30% to 50% fatality rate and can cause severe hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. Argentina has recorded 101 hantavirus cases and 32 deaths since last July.

Chief scientific officer Dr Seán Mac Fhearraigh, co-founder of the Dublin-based company, said antibody detection allows researchers to understand how exposure may have occurred within populations and supports long-term scientific preparedness for future infectious disease events.

Assay Genie supplies research tools to laboratories in more than 50 countries and describes the hantavirus kit launch as one of its most significant product releases to date.

Read the full report for further detail on Assay Genie's hantavirus detection kits and the MV Hondius outbreak response.