Cheap, effective diagnostics
The 'dipstick' test gives results in half an hour, making it ideal for use in the developing world as well as in clinical settings in the developed world.
The chlamydia rapid test, developed by Dr Helen Lee from the University of Cambridge, is performed on samples collected using vaginal swabs or from urine. The results are available in 25 minutes.
It is much cheaper than existing tests - potentially as little as 50p a time. This is important in countries where the health care spend per person may be just a few pounds a year.
The technology could also be used to develop tests for HIV, tuberculosis and hepatitis B and C.
The test was developed with funding from the Wellcome Trust and the National Institutes of Health in the USA. The Wellcome Trust's Technology Transfer Division is supporting the development of a rapid test for HIV/hepatitis B/ hepatitis C infection in blood samples.
Chlamydia facts
- Chlamydia infection is a sexually transmitted disease affecting more than 90 million people a year
- In women it can cause sterility and ectopic pregnancy
- Around 70 per cent of female carriers and 50 per cent of male carriers show no symptoms, making it hard to diagnose
- It is the main cause of blindness in babies in the developing world
- Chlamydia is easily treatable with a single dose of the antibiotic azithromycin.