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Rapid diagnostic tests for neurological infections in central Africa

Yansouni, Cedric P. and Bottieau, Emmanuel and Lutumba, Pascal and Winkler, Andrea S. and Lynen, Lut and Büscher, Philippe and Jacobs, Jan and Gillet, Philippe and Lejon, Veerle and Alirol, Emilie and Polman, Katja and Utzinger, Jürg and Miles, Michael A. and Peeling, Rosanna W. and Muyembe, Jean-Jacques and Chappuis, François and Boelaert, Marleen. (2013) Rapid diagnostic tests for neurological infections in central Africa. The Lancet infectious diseases, Vol. 13, H. 6. pp. 546-558.

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Official URL: http://edoc.unibas.ch/dok/A6146291

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Abstract

Infections are a leading cause of life-threatening neuropathology worldwide. In central African countries affected by endemic diseases such as human African trypanosomiasis, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and schistosomiasis, delayed diagnosis and treatment often lead to avoidable death or severe sequelae. Confirmatory microbiological and parasitological tests are essential because clinical features of most neurological infections are not specific, brain imaging is seldom feasible, and treatment regimens are often prolonged or toxic. Recognition of this diagnostic bottleneck has yielded major investment in application of advances in biotechnology to clinical microbiology in the past decade. We review the neurological pathogens for which rapid diagnostic tests are most urgently needed in central Africa, detail the state of development of putative rapid diagnostic tests for each, and describe key technical and operational challenges to their development and implementation. Promising field-suitable rapid diagnostic tests exist for the diagnosis of human African trypanosomiasis and cryptococcal meningoencephalitis. For other infections-eg, syphilis and schistosomiasis-highly accurate field-validated rapid diagnostic tests are available, but their role in diagnosis of disease with neurological involvement is still unclear. For others-eg, tuberculosis-advances in research have not yet yielded validated tests for diagnosis of neurological disease.
Faculties and Departments:09 Associated Institutions > Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH)
09 Associated Institutions > Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) > Former Units within Swiss TPH > Health Impact Assessment (Utzinger)
UniBasel Contributors:Utzinger, Jürg
Item Type:Article, refereed
Article Subtype:Research Article
Publisher:Elsevier
ISSN:1473-3099
Note:Publication type according to Uni Basel Research Database: Journal article
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Last Modified:16 Aug 2013 07:35
Deposited On:16 Aug 2013 07:34

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