A new simple, inexpensive three-in-one test to diagnose a terrible trio of parasitic diseases that wreak havoc in the developing world is passing preliminary tests, scientists reported here today. Described during the 239th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society the test is for Chagas' disease, leishmaniasis, and "sleeping sickness" or African trypanosomiasis.
This year will see about 800,000 new cases of Chagas disease, 2 million of leishmaniasis, and 70,000 of sleeping sickness (see sidebar). Most cases are discovered at a late stage, and together they cause tens of thousands of deaths each year and untold suffering. The drugs used to treat late-stage infections are often toxic and have potentially fatal side effects.
"Early diagnosis is the key to improving treatment of these diseases," said Ellen Beaulieu, Ph.D., a medicinal chemist in the Center for Infectious Diseases in the Biosciences Division of SRI International in Menlo Park, Calif., who reported on the test. "Diagnosis with conventional tests is difficult in developing countries where these diseases occur. We hope that our low-cost, simple test will play a role in helping poorer parts of the world combat these diseases and the poverty they engender."
One existing test for diagnosing the three diseases involves taking a blood sample from a patient and examining it under a microscope for the parasites that cause the diseases. But the process is complex, requiring medical laboratory equipment and specially trained health care workers. Current blood tests are also time-consuming. In some cases, it can take up to 90 days to confirm results. Other tests detect the parasites using antibodies. But they require expensive electronic equipment that may not be available in remote areas of the developing world.