A novel monoclonal antibody based diagnostic technology, for the detection of Chlamydia trachomatis infection, one of the bacteria for Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) in humans, has been developed by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
The new test makes the detection easy and cost effective. According to this indigenous method, the status of one infected with the STI can be known within two hours from the “cervical swabs.”
As of now there is no indigenous monoclonal antibody based test currently available for diagnosis of C.trachomatis infections in India.
Having found to be reliable, accurate and inexpensive, the detection kits will be developed and commercialised by an agency in Mumbai. Dr V. M. Katoch, secretary, department of health research, said “Development of better indigenous technologies and paving the ways of their availability to the common people of India is a commendable work”.
“An agreement has already been signed between the ICMR and the Mumbai based agency. The imported tests which are used are crude. This will be much sensitive and a lot more cost effective,” added another senior official in Indian Council of Medical Research.
Chlamydia trachomatis is an intracellular bacterial pathogen causing a spectrum of clinically important diseases in humans. Acute infection with Chlamudia can cause Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) and acute salpingitis. Long- term effect of these conditions can result in chronic pain, ectopic pregnancy and infertility.
A WHO study estimates that about 500 million people worldwide are at high risk of the infection with over 140 million people actually infected with the disease. Also, the cost of treating and caring for patients is quite expensive.
It is estimated that genital chlamydial infection accounts for 50 per cent of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) cases in India. Close to 20 million individuals are infected with C. trachomatis in the country.
The company has also assured the Indian Council of Medical Research that the kits will be commercially available within few months in the market.