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A Home-based Urine Test for Clinical Malaria
Presenter: Mr. Eddy Agbo, CEO/CSO, Fyodor Biotechnologies, Inc.

Malaria persists as a major public health problem, claiming a global toll of 247 million clinical cases and nearly 1 million deaths per year (WHO World Malaria Report, 2008). There is an increasing need for accurate diagnosis and screening to aid in surveillance and monitoring of intervention efficacy. Current definitive screening for active malaria infection necessitates drawing blood. A diagnostic test for clinical malaria using urine sample will have many advantages over current diagnostic methods, potentially offering a tool for epidemiological monitoring. Our urine-based malaria test (UMT) detects Plasmodium falciparum antigens from urine of malaria patients showing febrile illness. From preliminary performance evaluation of the UMT, clinical disease by Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite that causes majority of malaria cases worldwide, could be detected using approximately 100 µl urine sample. The test is positive in 5-10 minutes and was as specific as microscopy or blood-based rapid diagnostic tests, but 50-fold more sensitive than blood-based RDTs. Further preclinical studies are ongoing to validate the performance characteristics and utility of the test under field conditions. Our UMT is proposed as home-based test so that people can know immediately if their fever is due to malaria, and if so, to seek immediate specific treatment. It will be far less expensive than currently available rapid tests, and result in the reduction of the overall cost of managing malaria.

Contact: eddy.agbo@fyodorbio.com

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