19-05-2025
‘Ready for any disease X': New Singapore-made virus immunity test now used in 90 countries to track Covid-19, Ebola and Nipah
SINGAPORE, May 19 – A diagnostic test developed by Singaporean scientists to detect neutralising antibodies for multiple viruses is now in use in over 90 countries as part of global pandemic preparedness efforts.
The Straits Times reported that the multiplex surrogate virus neutralisation test (sVNT), can identify whether a person has antibodies capable of neutralising several pathogens, including Sars-CoV-2, the virus responsible for Covid-19, as well as Ebola and Nipah viruses.
'Neutralising antibodies are a functional measure of your immunity. So if you have a high level, you will most likely be protected against future infection,' said Prof Wang Linfa from Duke-NUS Medical School, who co-led the project with Dr Tan Chee Wah from NUS Medicine.
This ability to assess immunity can also help gauge the effectiveness of vaccines and inform future formulations to cover a broader range of related viruses, Prof Wang added.
Beyond vaccine development, the test supports contact tracing during outbreaks by identifying those previously infected, and can also be used in animals, having traced Sars-CoV-2 transmission from humans to deer in a US study.
Dr Tan noted the test's safety advantage, as it uses only spike proteins from viruses rather than live pathogens, avoiding risks of infection during antibody detection.
The test was developed under the Integrated Innovations in Infectious Diseases grant led by the National Medical Research Council, which funds medical research under Singapore's Ministry of Health.
Based on the cPass test introduced in 2020, the sVNT expands on its predecessor's limitations, particularly its inability to detect newer Covid-19 variants, said Professor Paul Tambyah from NUS Medicine.
Now adopted by institutions like the University of Oxford and the University of Melbourne, the sVNT plays a role in international research and surveillance of infectious diseases.
Looking ahead, Dr Tan said the team aims to create a universal test for all pathogens listed by the World Health Organisation as global health threats, including antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
'The challenge now, and also our excitement, is trying to build up a really multi-family, multi-class surrogate virus neutralisation test, so that we're ready for any disease X,' said Prof Wang, referring to a yet-unknown virus that could spark a pandemic.
Singapore has boosted its pandemic readiness since Covid-19, with the launch of a S$100 million research programme in 2022 and, most recently, the Communicable Diseases Agency in April 2025 to centralise infectious disease response.
