Project News

One of the outcomes from the SATREPS project is to develop a rapid diagnostic test kit (detection of IgM antibody from patient serum) for Rift Valley fever. Currently, various evaluation tests on the kit have been conducted towards commercialization. One of these evaluation tests is the preservation test, which is to verify whether this kit will show the stable diagnostic result under severe conditions such as high temperature and high humidity.

The evaluation tests have been carried out within the KEMRI as well as in the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) located in Entebbe of Uganda (the neighboring country of Kenya). This collaborating evaluation is expected to prove the stability of the diagnostic kit from various aspects using different patient samples. In addition, this collaborating work may provide the benefit to the patients in Uganda in near future.

Once the good results are obtained from the evaluation, the diagnostic test kit will be sold as a commercial product. As a part of the commercialization process, the diagnostic test kit developed under the SATREPS Project was named "ImmunoLine" (because this test uses immune-chromatographic test method and results appear as dark brown color lines). The brand name has been registered at the Kenya Industrial Property Institute (KIPI) and the design of the box for the product was finalized.

The Rift Valley fever diagnostic test kit will be used for the patients suffering from unknown fever including suspected cases of Rift Valley fever. It is easy to perform this test for any medical personnel (doctors, nurses and laboratory technicians) to get a result, thus, this test kit can be used for screening of Rift valley fever not only at reference hospitals in urban areas but also at small clinics in rural areas. Since it will take only 30 minutes to get the result, doctors and patients can know the results at the clinic and refer for the treatment. It will also help for "early detection and early containment" of Rift Valley fever outbreak.

New diagnostic test kit "ImmunoLineTM" for Rift Valley fever (IgM antibody detection)

The results were shown in 30 minutes (1~3: Positives, 4~7: Negatives)

Spraying antibody to the membrane of the kit at KEMRI Production Department

Cutting of membrane and final assembly of the kit at KEMRI Production Department