Speedy, Low-Cost And Easy-To-Use Test To Detect Trachoma
Scientists said on Friday they have developed a rapid, inexpensive and easy-to-use diagnostic test to detect trachoma, an eye disease that is the world's leading cause of preventable blindness
It produces results in less than half an hour and is more effective than a standard testing technique.
Dr Helen Lee, of the University of Cambridge in England, headed the team of scientists at the university who devised the 8 centimetre (3 inch) dipstick test.
Lee and researchers from Tanzania, Britain and the United States compared the device with a standard testing technique in a study of 664 children in Africa, and found it was twice as effective in detecting the illness.
About 6 million people worldwide are blind due to trachoma and more than 150 million need treatment, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Trachoma is caused by an infection of the eyes. It is passed on by the hands, clothing or flies that land on the face of an infected child. It is most common where poor hygiene and lack of water are a problem. The infection causes a sticky discharge from the eye. Damage to the cornea and blindness can result from recurring infections.
Lee, who reported the findings in The Lancet medical journal, said if the test becomes widely available it could help to identify communities which need mass treatment with antibiotics.
Filed under Eye Treatment
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