Israelis buy hand-held assays for anthrax detection from UDTT

Published 25 April 2008

In Israel they like to be self-reliant when it comes to antiterror technologies, and they have the scientific and industrial base to do so; still, an Israeli company turns to UDTT for anthrax detection technology

In Israel they know a thing or two about terrorism and
how to fight it, and they also like to be self-sufficient in counterterrorism
technology. We thus note that Universal Detection Technology, a developer of
early-warning bioterror monitoring technologies, has received a
purchase order from an Israeli company for UDTT’s Hand Held Assays (HHA). The
Israeli government and private security firms are improving their preparedness
for a bioterror attack as the potential threat of such an attack from terror
organizations and states with active biological weapon programs, such as Syria,
grows. As an example, large numbers of the Israeli population have received
smallpox inoculations.

UDTT’s anthrax detection HHAs provide accurate results
to users in the field in as little as three minutes (read more about UDTT in
this HSDW story). The assays
have been purchased by first responders throughout the country as well as the
U.S. Army. The kits are able to detect anthrax spores well below the threshold
for an infectious dose. “We have seen increased interest in our bioterrorism
detection kits recently from Israeli security firms and we hope that this trend
can open up doors to more international sales of UDTT’s HHAs,” said Mr. Jacques
Tizabi, UDTT’s Chief Executive Officer.