Chinese experts said they had developed technology to quickly detect illness of eel, facilitating timely treatment and thus reducing or exempting the use of drug.

The technology, featuring molecular biology technology, has passed evaluation by a team of experts with China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.

Sources with the expert team said that eel raisers can detect three kinds of eel diseases in one day by using the reagent test on eel, winning time for preventing an outburst of disease.

The research program of the new molecular biology technology was sponsored by the provincial government of Fujian, which is China's biggest eel exporter.

A notice issued by the Fujian Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau called for eel raisers to embrace the technology, which it says would help them avoid export barriers.

According to the bureau, the research team has also proposed a tentative program to develop bacterin and treat antibody of eel using modern molecular biology technology.

Fujian exported about 24,300 tons of grilled eel last year, valued at 288 million U.S. dollars, accounting for more than half percent of the national total.

(Xinhua News Agency April 21, 2008)