Background
Schistosomiasis is a severely debilitating and often fatal chronic parasitic disease caused by agents of the genus Schistosoma, afflicting more than 250 million people worldwide. Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 93% of the world’s cases of schistosomiasis. The two main Schistosoma species affecting people in Africa are Schistosoma haematobium and Schistosoma mansoni. In Asia, S. japonicum is present in China, the Philippines and small foci of Indonesia, while S. mekongi is prevalent in the Mekong River basin. Both are highly zoonotic species, posing significant challenges for elimination.
By identifying communities with accurate schistosomiasis prevalence, diagnostic tests could help guide the allocation of resources and interventions to where they are needed most. Affordable diagnostic tools, especially used at point-of-care, for rapid mapping of schistosomiasis in the context of integrated control programmes are urgently needed.
Aim
- Develop molecular-based POC assays by combining rapid DNA extraction, multienzyme isothermal rapid amplification (MIRA) and Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) with a CRISPR-associated protein 12a (Cas12a) system.
- Develop immunological POC tests through antigen screening and incorporating the best antigen into lateral flow immunoassays (LFIAs).
Project Potential
If successfully developed and deployed, both POC assays will have a significant impact on the monitoring aspect of parasitic control programs, with potential to replace the far less sensitive Kato-Katz procedure currently used to facilitate the control of schistosomiasis in endemic areas.