List date(s) this work was published or aired.
9-Dec-11
Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
Densely populated areas in rural China require constant vigilance and state-of-the-art technology to stop new pandemics in their tracks. Hurdles are not only scientific in some parts of the developing world. Although China has improved since the SARS pandemic in updating its virus detection system, there is a large gap between doctors and the lab that allows viruses to go undetected.
Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
The story required extensive research in scientific journals to learn about the recent developments in sequencing and microarray technology, as well as to figure out the evolution of virus detection methods over time.
Explain types of human sources used.
I spoke to researchers in the US, China, Europe and elsewhere to get a sense of the technological developments and knowledge gaps. They included experts involved in the SARS pandemic detection such as Malik Pieres, as well as others involved in helping overhaul China’s virus detection labs following SARS.
Results:
The newest technologies for detecting emerging pathogens are not available in the developing world. Cost is a huge barrier. Developments in microarrays are likely to reduce costs in the future and ease pathogen detection in the field. Meanwhile, getting samples out of some countries such as India, and into the four or five high-tech labs in the US and Europe remains a challenge. Within the developing world, patients often go undiagnosed, which means emerging pathogens go undetected. There is a large gap between clinics and labs.
Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
No
Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
It was difficult finding people to talk to at the Chinese Center for Disease Control for the story, but the agency collaborates with researchers from the US CDC and Europe. That is an alternate route in.