One minute to detect malaria

Researchers from the Universities of Exeter and Coventry have developed a new technique that will diagnose malaria in less than a minute.

In its early results it has been found that the test is as effective as Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDT) and moreover it is much cheaper and faster than RDT making it a viable alternative.

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Professor Dave Newman, the lead researcher of the University of Exeter’s School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics, said, “There is an urgent need for a new diagnostic technique for malaria, particularly in the light of global warming, which threatens to spread the disease into new parts of the world, including southern Europe.”

“The early results from our device are very promising and hugely exciting. We expect to ultimately produce a sensitive non-invasive device that will be cost effective and easy to use, making it suitable for developing countries, where the need is greatest,” he added.

Reported in the latest edition of Biophysical Journal, which mentioned that the scientists from UK could developed a technique which make use of magneto-optic technology to detect Haemozoin, a waste product of the malarial parasite, in the blood.

The scientists could encash on the weak magnetic and distinct rectangular form of Haemozoin crystals, which shows optical dichorism by absorbing more light on its length than to its width. In the presence of magnetic field it behaves like a weak Polaroid sheet.

The new technique thus take benefit from the unique properties of Haemozoin and the device gives efficient negative as well as positive reading of malaria in less than a minute.

With the assistance of a team from the Royal Tropical Institute, Department of Biomedical Research in Amsterdam, it is planning to go for the trial of the same in Kenya later this year.

The result of the device in detecting malaria has been received well by the scientist who finds RBTs as time taking and expensive. It also requires advance facilities and equipments which are absent villages and poor countries.