Optimized Pooled Testing Approach Could Transform Public Health Screening for Infectious Diseases

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 13 Dec 2024

Image: The new study highlights efficiency in detecting infectious diseases (Photo courtesy of Adobe Stock)

Traditional individual testing methods can be resource-intensive, particularly when it comes to large-scale screenings. Pooled testing, on the other hand, enables the testing of multiple specimens together, which reduces both cost and time. This approach has been particularly useful in situations where disease prevalence is low, such as during early screenings or when monitoring for diseases like HIV and chlamydia. In an effort to accelerate and make large-scale disease testing more affordable, researchers have now created an optimized method for pooled testing, which has the potential to revolutionize public health screening for infectious diseases.

A study conducted by researchers at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (Lafayette, LA, USA) examined the benefits of using pooled testing for detecting infectious diseases, particularly in cases of low prevalence. The team developed a framework to determine the most effective pool size for different infectious diseases, balancing both cost and testing efficiency. Their research utilized data on diseases like HIV, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and SARS-CoV-2.

The researchers found that by strategically pooling specimens, testing costs could be significantly reduced without sacrificing accuracy—an important discovery as health systems face increasing demand for screening across various diseases, including HIV, gonorrhea, and COVID-19. Their findings, published in the Journal of Agricultural, Biological, and Environmental Statistics, revealed that by adjusting pool sizes according to specific infection prevalence rates, public health agencies could realize considerable cost savings while still ensuring accurate prevalence estimates. The software tools developed in this study are now available for download, providing valuable resources for public health officials and researchers worldwide.

“Our findings suggest that careful design and optimization of pooled testing can yield substantial benefits for disease surveillance efforts, particularly in resource-limited settings,” said Dr. Md S. Warasi, Assistant Professor of Mathematics and Statistics at Radford University. “The study provides a new software package and a user-friendly software application to aid health departments and researchers in implementing these optimized testing protocols.”

“The ability to efficiently detect and monitor infectious diseases is crucial for timely interventions. By refining how pooled testing is conducted, we hope to empower health departments worldwide to improve their screening processes and respond faster to potential outbreaks,” added Dr. Kumer P. Das, Assistant Vice President for Research and Innovation at theUniversity of Louisiana at Lafayette.