Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen visited the Clinical Diagnostic Services Laboratory (CDSL) in DSO National Laboratories' Biological Defence (BD) Programme this morning. During the visit, Dr Ng was given a demonstration of the processes used to screen blood samples from patients suspected to be infected with the Ebola virus.

Since 1 August this year, DSO's CDSL has been designated by the Ministry of Health as the national testing facility for the Ebola virus. Blood samples from patients suspected of contracting the Ebola virus are screened in the BD Programme's Biosafety facilities using tests developed by DSO's defence researchers. The tests are used to confirm the presence or absence of the virus in the samples. The CDSL has since tested two Ebola virus samples, which turned out to be negative.

Dr Tan Boon Huan, Director for DSO's BD Programme said, "As a national laboratory, DSO is prepared to deploy our expertise to assist Singapore in times of national crises. Our preparedness and the expertise of our defence researchers is the result of our previous screening efforts during infectious disease outbreaks, as well as our ongoing work for the Singapore Armed Forces.

"Since 2003, the BD Programme's researchers have been called upon to be part of the nation's response to SARS, as well as the H1N1 and H7N9 influenza viruses outbreaks.