New blood test against Nagana disease.

A study recently published in the journal PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, shows that the cattle disease nagana, also called African animal trypanosomosis can be detected using a simple but effective device. The device, less than 3 inches long and similar in format to a pregnancy test, can identify within 30 minutes whether or not an animal is infected with the parasite Trypanosoma vivax from a single drop of blood. The University of Dundee and the Global Alliance for Livestock Veterinary Medicines (GALVmed) partnered to develop this simple and effective device that tests for Nagana disease that is endemic in 40 African countries and accounts for up to a 50% loss in milk and meat production in the continent. The simple device does not require electricity or any additional equipment, which makes it a tool of importance in developing countries,where resources are limited. The cattle disease,African animal trypanosomosis, is caused mainly by 2 parasite species: 1) Trypanosoma vivax 2) Trypanosoma congolense .It affects wide spread areas of sub-Saharan Africa. The T. vivax form of nagana has also spread to South America. There are about 60 million cattle at risk from the disease, that causes muscle wasting and death. The socio-economic impacts of nagana are profound,as it impacts on the lives of millions of smallholder farmers and the economy.The prototype diagnostic device was evaluated with over 100 serum samples from uninfected and T. vivax-infected cattle. more