Problem being addressed
Cholera continues to be a major cause of illness and death in developing countries, especially in post-natural disaster or post-conflict settings. In these settings, laboratory diagnosis of cholera may not be possible due to lack of electricity and trained personnel. Timely diagnosis is essential for appropriate treatment.
Detailed description of the solution
The SMART II Cholera O1 test is a rapid diagnostic test that detects Vibrio cholerae-specific antigens within a human fecal sample. It can be performed in about 15 minutes, can be used by an unskilled technician, requires no electricity, and stores at room temperature.
Relevance to developing country settings
Cholera is almost exclusively limited to developing country settings. These tests were use in field trials in Bangladesh, Mexico, and Madagascar.
Manufacturer
- Manufacturer: New Horizons Diagnostics Corporation
- Manufacturer location: Columbia, Maryland USA
Funding Source
This device has funding from private sources.
References
Peer-reviewed publication
J A Hasan, A Huq, M L Tamplin, R J Siebeling and R R Colwell. (1994.) A novel kit for rapid detection of Vibrio cholerae O1. J. Clin. Microbiol., 32(1):249. Link available here.
Kalluri P, Naheed A, Rahman S, Ansaruzzaman M, Faruque AS, Bird M, et al. (2006). Evaluation of three rapid diagnostic tests for cholera: does the skill level of the technician matter?. Trop Med Int Health, 11(1), 49-55. Link available here.
Nato F, Boutonnier A, Rajerison M, Grosjean P, Dartevelle S, Guenole A et al. (2003.) One-step immunochromatographic dipstick tests for rapid detectrion of Vibrio cholerae O1 and O139 in stool samples. Clin Diagn Lab Immunol, 10(3), 476-478. Link available here.
Internally generated reports
New Horizons Diagnostics Corporation. (2004). Cholera SMART II. PDF available here.