An inexpensive, non-invasive cheek swab saliva test for dengue has been developed by researchers in Singapore and is undergoing multi-center evaluation, SciDev.Net reports.

Lee-Ching Ng, lead author of the study and director of the Environmental Health Institute at Singapore’s National Environment Agency, said he hopes the test will replace currently available blood tests for dengue and become “similar to a pregnancy test kit,” the news service notes. “We are also seeking partners for commercialization,” Ng said (Hirschfeld, 6/21).