EU green light for hepatitis B rapid test
21 May 2010
Dr Helen Lee from Diagnostics for the Real World, who led the development of the test, said: "Our test is simple, quick, inexpensive and can survive very hot conditions for many months - all vital factors when you are working in poorer parts of the world."
Hepatitis B virus, spread through contact with infected blood or other bodily fluids, is highly infectious. Worldwide, two billion people have been infected and around 350 million people live with chronic infection. Although infection rarely kills, it can cause serious health problems and places a huge strain on healthcare resources.
The new test, developed with a Wellcome Trust Strategic Translation Award, uses dipstick technology to deliver an accurate diagnosis onsite within half an hour, and can be used with minimal training. Current methods of hepatitis B diagnosis take days to weeks to get results.
Diagnostics for the Real World has already launched a rapid test for chlamydia. Other rapid tests in the pipeline include ones for HIV and influenza.
Image: Hepatitis virus. Credit: Medical Art Service, Munich/Wellcome Images
