New technology helps to quickly diagnose dengue fever

Biomedical technology researchers from the University of Reading (UK) have invented a new diagnostic kit called Cygnus, which helps to quickly detect dengue fever and can be used in conjunction with a mobile application.

Blood sample after dengue fever test

The team believes that their Cygnus test kit provides a significantly improved quality of results compared to the circulating Lateral flow testing kits (LFT).

Working with academics and clinicians in Thailand, the team tested three diagnostic methods at the same time and produced results: the Cygnus test showed clinical sensitivity of 82%, beating the test. LFT (74% sensitivity) and comparable to hospital laboratory tests (83% sensitivity).

At the same time, the Cygnus test kit also allows to determine which of the 4 different dengue viruses is the cause of the disease.

Dr Sarah Needs at the University of Reading, and lead author of the study, said: "This study shows interesting potential for the use of Cygnus test strip methods. can be used in combination with smartphones, and at the same time, the production cost is low."

The Cygnus test method is based on test strip technology, allowing the user to test many different targets at the same time in a single sample. So it can be useful to detect many diseases rather than just one.

The new diagnostic test can screen for 10 or more diseases with very small amounts of blood, urine or saliva samples.

Globally, there are an estimated 400 million cases of dengue fever each year. Dengue fever can lead to significant complications, even death. This disease is a serious health challenge faced by half of the global population.

Dr Alexander Edwards, associate professor of biomedical technology at the University of Reading, said: "With the Cygnus diagnostic kit, we are solving the biggest obstacle to at-home testing.

It's a "mobile lab" that can be mass-produced cheaply, and still deliver results like hospital tests. Our design is revolutionary for healthcare."