HONG KONG -- Researchers at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University have developed a rapid and cheap virus detection test, local media reported on Monday.

The process takes around two-to-three hours -- a tenth of the time taken by traditional clinical methods. It is also cheaper, costing around 80 percent less than existing tests.

The researchers are also working on ways that would allow the tests to identify dangerous viruses like Zika and Ebola.

Dr. Yang Mo, from the university's Interdisciplinary Division of Biomedical Engineering, said that the new test would cost around 20 HK dollars.