Deerfield, Il — A new diagnostic test strip to rapidly detect lymphatic filariasis - also known as elephantiasis - in human blood has significant advantages over the standard card test that has been used for more than a decade to map, monitor and assess the success of the massive global campaign to eliminate the disease.
"Like a compass, this new test will help guide global public health officials in their efforts to stop the spread of the disease," said lead author Gary J. Weil, MD, of the Washington University School of Medicine. "It should help officials better assess the point at which the disease is no longer a threat to a community so they can stop administering mass drug treatment. This new test should also be a more sensitive tool for detecting resurgence of lymphatic filariasis infection before it gets out of control."
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