L
LequteMan
Guest
The Redeemer’s University, (RUN) in Ede, Osun State, has developed a ten-minute test kit for detecting the Lassa virus in urine, faeces and blood samples of humans or multmamelar rats.
Known as Pan-Lassa Rapid Diagnostics Test (PL RDT), contains molecules that inhibit Lassa fever and a potential vaccine against Lassa fever, is one of the discoveries of the institution’s World-Bank funded African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID).
Director of ACEGID, RUN, Prof. Christian Happi, who was a member of a team that performed the first Lassa fever Positive Reverse Transcription (PCR) diagnosis in Nigeria in 2008, explained the research breakthrough.
“In 2014, we developed and tested the first generation of Lassa fever rapid diagnostics test (RDT). Although, the test showed great potential in the field, its sensitivity was low compared to the gold standard, Positive Reverse Transcription (PCR), because the test could not pick up all the three lineages of the Lassa virus circulating in Nigeria. We went back to work to improve on the RDTs, and in January 2016, we successfully developed a Pan-Lassa fever test that is highly sensitive and specific.”
He noted that it is well established that Ribavirin currently being used to treat Lassa fever was not designed for the disease and as such, it’s only effective when given in the early phase of the infection.
“This prompted us to take advantage of our current knowledge of genomics technology to have better insight into the virus genome and eventually identify potential drug targets. Using the next generation sequencing, we successfully sequenced hundreds of Lassa fever viruses, thereby generating the largest catalogue of Lassa fever virus sequenced in the world.
“This in turn resulted to the identification of new epitopes in the virus. In addition, we were able to determine the ancient origins, evolution and transmission of the Lassa virus.”
Known as Pan-Lassa Rapid Diagnostics Test (PL RDT), contains molecules that inhibit Lassa fever and a potential vaccine against Lassa fever, is one of the discoveries of the institution’s World-Bank funded African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID).
Director of ACEGID, RUN, Prof. Christian Happi, who was a member of a team that performed the first Lassa fever Positive Reverse Transcription (PCR) diagnosis in Nigeria in 2008, explained the research breakthrough.
“In 2014, we developed and tested the first generation of Lassa fever rapid diagnostics test (RDT). Although, the test showed great potential in the field, its sensitivity was low compared to the gold standard, Positive Reverse Transcription (PCR), because the test could not pick up all the three lineages of the Lassa virus circulating in Nigeria. We went back to work to improve on the RDTs, and in January 2016, we successfully developed a Pan-Lassa fever test that is highly sensitive and specific.”
He noted that it is well established that Ribavirin currently being used to treat Lassa fever was not designed for the disease and as such, it’s only effective when given in the early phase of the infection.
“This prompted us to take advantage of our current knowledge of genomics technology to have better insight into the virus genome and eventually identify potential drug targets. Using the next generation sequencing, we successfully sequenced hundreds of Lassa fever viruses, thereby generating the largest catalogue of Lassa fever virus sequenced in the world.
“This in turn resulted to the identification of new epitopes in the virus. In addition, we were able to determine the ancient origins, evolution and transmission of the Lassa virus.”
