As avian influenza continues to affect the poultry industry – as well as dairy cows and other mammals like cats and even seals – researchers are developing a hand-held device that can detect the virus that causes bird flu in the air in minutes with a success rate of 90%. Dr. Rajan Chakrabarty at Washington University in St. Louis, is leading a team of scientists that previously created an electrochemical capacitive biosensing (ECP) device to detect the virus that spread COVID-19 five years ago. The current goal is to shorten the time to confirm bird flu in such places as poultry barns, farms and commercial hatcheries. He also tells MeatingPod that the team plans to develop an ECB that simultaneously senses multiple types of viruses in the air with the same level of effectiveness.