New test to diagnose malaria from a drop of blood or saliva
London: Researchers have developed a new, inexpensive and
sensitive method that makes it possible to diagnose malaria from
a single drop of blood or saliva. The method might eventually be
used in low-resource areas without the need for specially
trained personnel, expensive equipment, clean water or
electricity. With the development of this method, the
researchers hope to go one step further in identifying and
treating all patients suffering from malaria. Researchers at
Aarhus University have developed the method based on measuring
the activity of an enzyme called topoisomerase I from the
Plasmodium parasite. The technology called REEAD (Rolling
Circle-Enhanced Enzyme Activity Detection) makes it possible to
diagnose malaria from a single drop of blood or saliva, the
University statement said. This method is much more time-
effective and cost-effective than current diagnostic methods and
can be performed by personnel who have no specialised training.