Malaria, a devastating disease caused by parasites,
results in 350–500 million infections and approximately 1 million deaths per
year, primarily in Africa. The disease affects mainly children under the age of
5 years who have not yet established immunity against the parasite. With
symptoms resembling influenza or cold, mild malaria infection can have a high
rate of survival, but a subset of infections progress to a severe form where the
patient lapses into coma or experiences organ failure. Although tests can be
conducted to detect the presence of malarial parasites, there is a need for a
simple, inexpensive test that more clearly associates malaria with specific
symptoms and predicts which patients will progress to the severe form of the
disease.
Michigan State University’s invention involves the
development of a quantitative rapid diagnostic "dipstick" test to predict the
severity of malarial infection and to determine if malaria is or is not the
cause of cerebral coma. The test would increase availability of testing and
diagnosis in rural areas with little infrastructure and potentially allow for
more appropriate and effective treatment. The test is based on a quantitative
measure of histidine rich protein (HRP-2), which is expressed by the parasites
that cause malaria.
