new diagnostic test, page-4

I sent an e mail to Cellestis re the new test for TB in South Africa, thought you may be interested in the reply!!


In response to your e mail: In Africa, where experts are particularly worried about a lethal collision between TB and AIDS, only six countries provided information.

"We really don't know what the situation is in Africa," Raviglione said. "If multi-drug resistant TB has penetrated Africa and coincides with AIDS, there's bound to be a disaster."

Raviglione said it was likely that patients -- and even entire outbreaks of drug-resistant TB -- were being missed.
WHO said a new diagnostic test able to provide results within a day is being tried in South Africa and Lesotho. If successful, the test could be introduced across Africa in a few months, though new labs would be needed to run the tests.

[B]The predominant concern of the WHO and Dr Raviglione, for South Africa and high endemicity resource-poor countries is the rapid detection of active tuberculosis. Where there is much active TB disease and ongoing infection there is less concern for finding and treating latent TB infection. The use of a test such as QuantiFERON for the detection of TB infection is a lower priority, but will emerge in these regions when active TB rates decline and the need to eliminate the reservoir of infection becomes more dominant, as occurs in developed countries.

We are aware of several tests in trial for this indication. These include the detection of TB cell wall components in urine, and a combination of immunochromatographic test with DNA amplification. Both are for active TB. There is an element of sales of QFT that is used to assist active TB diagnosis, but it is not the primary indication for our product, and QFT should not be used as a sole and primary tool for TB diagnosis.

We trust this addresses your query.

Best regards,

Brian Manuel
Company Secretary
Cellestis Limited[/I]