Establishment of a diagnostic method for asymptomatic infected people using a proprietary device in malaria endemic areas

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17H04650
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 海外学術
• Research Field: Parasitology (including sanitary zoology)
• Research Institution: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
• Principal Investigator: Hashimoto Muneaki 国立研究開発法人産業技術総合研究所, 生命工学領域, 主任研究員 (30407308)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: マラリア / 検査

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study was to develop a next-generation diagnostic device for eradicating malaria by using an automatic malaria diagnostic device originally developed by the applicants for asymptomatic infected people in malaria endemic areas and comparing it with the current method. After improving the device, it became clear that the device could be used for diagnosis with high accuracy. Specifically, using the nested PCR method as a reference method, the sensitivity and specificity of this device were 100% and 92.8%, respectively. In addition, for 53 malarial parasite-positive specimens, the parasitemia value calculated by this device was compared with the value calculated by microscopy, revealing the high quantification of this device.

Free Research Field

熱帯医学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

マラリア流行地では無症候感染者（繰返しの感染により部分的な免疫の獲得し、低感染状態の感染者）が原虫のドナーになっており、マラリア撲滅のためには無症候感染者の治療による伝播阻止が鍵になる。このような背景から、流行地でのフィールドワークで無症候感染者にも使用可能な迅速かつ易操作な高感度マラリア診断デバイスの開発が望まれている。申請者らはこれらを可能にし得るデバイスを独自に開発した。本研究では罹患率が特に高いマラリア流行地であるケニアにおいて無症候感染者を対象に本デバイスを用いた原虫の高感度検出を可能にし、マラリア撲滅に大きく貢献すると期待される。