A rapid test for flu viruses could save thousands of lives in the event of a pandemic by cutting the time taken to identify cases to just two hours, researchers say.

The portable device being developed by Nottingham Trent University is designed to pick up all types of flu - including the deadly H5N1 strain of avian influenza.

Currently it takes two to three days to identify the strain responsible for suspected cases of bird flu, or up to a week in countries such as Indonesia and Vietnam, which are most affected by the virus. The latest technology could reduce this to a matter of hours, making it possible to set up exclusion zones or cull infected birds before the virus has a chance to spread.

Last week the Cabinet Office risk register named the possibility of a flu pandemic as the biggest threat facing the country. Such an incident could lead to up to half of the UK population becoming ill, and between 55,500 and 750,000 excess deaths in a 15-week period. A pandemic could be caused by a resistant strain of seasonal flu, but the H5N1 strain is of particular concern because it is especially virulent and is spread by migratory birds.

Although the H5N1 strain does not pass easily from birds to humans, it has claimed 243 lives from 385 confirmed cases, mostly in southeast Asia.

As part of an international project supported by £3 million (£2.3 million) funding from the European Union, the Nottingham researchers are helping to develop two machines - a briefcase-sized version for use out in the field, and one about the size of a desktop computer for international border points, hospitals and GPs' surgeries. The device will work by scanning swabs containing saliva or a tissue sample from birds or animals, and screening them for viral traces of influenza.

Alan McNally, who is working on the project, said that the device would allow fast, on-the-spot screening. “The key thing is that the process will be fully automated so there is no requirement for a skilled person,” he said.

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