Immunoassay Technology to Be Used in Visceral Leishmaniasis Diagnostic

Chromatographic immunoassay technology will be used in the development of a low-cost device for diagnosis of visceral Leishmaniasis.

The Infectious Disease Research Institute (IDRI; Seattle, WA, USA) and Chembio Diagnostics Systems, Inc. (New York, NY, USA) have entered into an agreement in which Chembio will use its dual path platform (DPP) based on chromatographic immunoassay technology and other Chembio capabilities to design, develop, and manufacture a low-cost device for the diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis. The agreement was announced at the 96th annual meeting of the American Association of Immunologists (Immunology 2009) held May 8-12, 2009, in Seattle (WA, USA).

Most visceral Leishmaniasis cases occur in poor populations living in remote areas far from healthcare centers. In these settings, the disease often coexists with malaria and other debilitating parasitic infections that exhibit similar symptoms, making diagnosis difficult. Traditional labor-intensive and complex diagnostic procedures--invasive removal of bone marrow, spleen, and lymph node tissues for microscopic examination and isolation of the parasite by culture--are neither feasible nor field friendly.

"We are actively working to develop a rapid and simple test that could be used in the field in Africa to diagnose visceral Leishmaniasis by using no more than a drop of blood," said Dr. Steven Reed, founder and head of IDRI's Research and Development Program. "This would dramatically improve early detection of visceral Leishmaniasis, making current treatments more effective and decreasing transmission rates."

Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) is a serious, potentially lethal, systemic parasitic illness that has caused epidemics in India, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America. About 500,000 new cases of visceral Leishmaniasis occur each year, and 10% of these patients, mostly children, die because their disease cannot be accurately diagnosed in a timely fashion.

Related Links:
Infectious Disease Research Institute
Chembio Diagnostics Systems