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The first test to test a rapid diagnosis of malaria in the world has been successful in malaria screening tests in Cameroon, which, according to researchers, could help eradicate the disease.
Each year, malaria kills an estimated 435,000 people and, according to the latest World Health Organization (WHO) statistics, the disease is slowing down and affects about 219 million cases worldwide in 2017, an increase of 3.5 million compared to 2016.
The new test could help eliminate the disease because it is detected before the onset of clinical symptoms in the patient, announced Saturday "Al Jazeera".
This new tool is the first to use saliva instead of blood to diagnose malaria. It identifies the number of vital cells in the spleen indicating the presence of parasitic malaria. The results appear almost immediately.
"This test is an easy and inexpensive way to get to the field and look for people with the malaria virus, which will support treatment and vaccination initiatives," said Dr. Benji Pretorius, founder of the 39, ERADA diagnostic tool.
The salivary test – which consists of spitting in a tube and waiting 5 to 20 minutes for diagnosis – has the added benefit of being less harmful than blood tests and can be used outside the clinical setting in schools or community centers at the same price. In some areas are considered cultural taboos.
Dr Pretorius hopes that regulators will approve the test later this year and will be marketed in 2020, adding that the test can be used to perform mass tests of malaria in areas where the disease is prevalent.
The test was considered a major catalyst in achieving the WHO goal for 2030 of reducing disease spread and mortality by 90%.
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