A PORTABLE kit that can test for more than 10 strains of flu - including the bugs that killed four children in Hong Kong earlier this month - is poised to hit the market, according to its makers.

The invention, called Vereflu, will save precious time in diagnosing potentially deadly strains of flu, said officials from local firm Veredus Laboratories, which developed the kit along with Geneva-headquartered ST Microelectronics.

It can test for several strains of flu within two hours, using only a tiny sample from the throat.

The 10kg kit occupies the same space as a laptop computer and printer and is less than a quarter the size of conventional flu diagnostics.

For now, the kit will be marketed to hospitals, airports and border crossings.

Eventually, Vereflu could reach farms and even homes, said Mr Robert Hodges, a director at ST Microelectronics. However, it will likely be several years before the setup is simple enough to use at home.

Independent trials at Singapore's National University Hospital showed the kit can identify at least 13 virus strains. The list includes bird flu as well as the seasonal flu strains that killed children in Hong Kong earlier this month and forced schools to shut down.

Read the full story in Tuesday's edition of The Straits Times.