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| light beam that can save lives can now detect malaria |
A team at the University of Queensland has developed a rapid, needle-free testing method for malaria that could potentially save hundreds of thousands of lives annually.
The study has been released in PNAS Nexus.
However, researchers have developed a gadget that flashes a beam of safe infrared light on a person's finger or ear for five to ten seconds. This technology gathers an infrared signature that is then analyzed by a computer program.
Dr. Maggy Lord, the international team leader from the School of Biological Sciences at UQ, predicted that the technology will transform the way malaria is combated on a worldwide scale.
To test a big population, such as the inhabitants of a village or town, you now need to draw blood from each individual and combine it with a reagent in order to obtain a response, according to Dr. Lord.
"But using this instrument, we can immediately determine if a town or hamlet as a whole is infected with malaria or has it. "The method uses infrared light to detect malaria via the skin without the need for chemicals or needles; all it takes is a quick flash on the patient's skin to complete the procedure.
Because the system is smartphone-driven, results are obtained instantly. The device, according to the experts, is the first step towards getting rid of malaria.
According to the WHO's report on malaria, there were more than 600,000 malaria-related deaths globally in 2020, with an estimated 241 million cases. "90% of mortality in sub-Saharan Africa are children under five, where the majority of cases occur.
"The prevalence of asymptomatic individuals in a population who serve as a reservoir for mosquito-borne illness transmission presents the strongest obstacle to disease eradication.
The World Health Organization has suggested widespread surveillance in endemic areas, and this quick, non-invasive instrument provides a means of doing so. Other ailments could be treated with the use of technology.
Dr. Lord added, "We've successfully used this technique on mosquitoes to non-invasively identify diseases including malaria, Zika, and dengue." "It might be utilized to better combat illnesses as people migrate throughout the world in our post-COVID future.
"We anticipate that the technology will be used to screen travelers at points of entry, preventing the spread of illness and decreasing outbreaks throughout the world. Although it is very early, this proof-of-concept is intriguing.
