New Rapid Legionella Test in 25 minutes!
A new rapid test that will allow Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 to be detected within 25 minutes is set to revolutionze the industry. The test developed by 4 Lothian scientists are set to make them a huge fortune after the groundbreaking breakthrough.
Unlike normal routine analysis which takes up to 14 days for a confirmation within a laboratory, this new test only takes 25 minutes. It is similar to the pregnancy style test in application and has a sensitivity level of 100 cfu/mL.
At a cost of £45, the device has the potential to rapidly diagnose the cause and allow specific antibiotics to be administered immediately for treatment.
The test kits were invented by the former research scientist Dr Neil Polwart from the Ministry of Defense who worked on chemical and biological weapon detection.
Dr Polwart, from Polmont, near Falkirk, came up with the idea after his wife, who was employed in the water industry, complained that it could take up two weeks to get legionella confirmed to specie levels by the testing laboratory. The revolutionary test is now set to make millions of pounds for the firm he set up with three colleagues in 2003 called Hydrosense.
The firm is now on course to make more than £500,000 in the US alone in its first year, and has just been launched in the UK. The tests can be used in any sources such as swimming pools and spas, as well as in water cooling towers.
According to the business development manager of Hydrosense, Brendan Cairns, he says “There are around two million tests for legionella carried out every year, so that gives an indication of how useful it could be.”
“It could save lives, because it cuts the waiting time to identify and confirm Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 which causes the majority of the infections.”
The advantage of the new test is that it is rapid and provides a clear indirect visual indication of the presence of the bacterium which causes over 90% of Legionnaires’ disease deaths. It is the only kit in the world market designed to be used at the sample point.
Dr Giles Edwards, director of the Scottish Legionella Reference Laboratory, said the new product was a step forward.
“If you are investigating an outbreak, or responsible for maintaining a cooling tower, quicker response times will make the job much easier,” he said.
However, Dr Edwards said the test would still require confirmation.
For more information, you can visit Hydrosense or download the pdf file.
