Key Summary
The University of Exeter is developing a new test which could detect a fatal fungal infection before patients reach a critical stage.
Mucormycosis – black fungus disease, is a common yet potentially dangerous disease that rose post the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Currently, a prototype lateral flow test has been developed by Professor Chris Thornton from the fungal immunology department at the university. The study is in partnership with Besancon University hospital in France.
The research includes testing of patients infected with mucormycosis, patients with other fungal infections and people without any infections.
Mucormycosis was accurately detected within 30 minutes with this new test.
The project leaders announced that the test that has been validated using patient samples could be available in hospitals within three years, as soon as it clears all the regulatory checks.
This rare disease comes from the harmless fungal spores present in the environment. The disease is risky only for the people with weak immunity.
Issues like Covid infection, mismanaged diabetes and over-sue of steroids to control lung inflammation caused by Covid together resulted in the soaring of this infection.
The 2021 epidemic in India resulted in 3,500 deaths out of 40,000 cases. Large number of survivors were left with facial disfigurements.
The prototype of this test itself has been commented to be effective as per a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology.
"Early diagnosis is crucial for the best outcome. This study shows that our new test is quick and effective. These exciting results are a critical milestone in the development and validation of the test, which we aim to commercialise in the next three years," said Professor Thornton.
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