Developing New Diagnostic Tests for Human African Trypanosomiasis - Current status and future plans

HAT & OND Team Foundation for innovative new diagnostics FIND (2013) C2
FIND and Standard Diagnostics (SD) have developed a lateral flow rapid diagnostic test (RDT) to screen for T.b. gambiense HAT that is cheap and easy to use. The tests are packed individually and are stable at 40°C for up to 25 months; they are performed on fresh blood obtained from a finger prick, and no instrument or electricity is required. The RDT detects host antibodies to infection in populations that are at risk, or in suspect individuals. Positive cases are subjected to further confirmatory methods to identify HAT patients.