The infectious disease melioidosis – also known as pseudorotz – is widespread in Southeast Asia and northern Australia as well as in tropical regions of Africa and South America. The pathogen is found in soil and water, such as in rice fields – a bacterium that is already naturally resistant to numerous antibiotics. Melioidosis is difficult to treat, and mortality is high. The biggest obstacle to successfully combating it so far is that the infection is often not detected in time due to its non-­specific clinical course.

The team of the research department “Optical-Molecular Diagnostics and Systems Technology”, together with the Weimar-based diagnostics company Senova and other national and international partners, has now developed a rapid test that provides clarity within 15 minutes. The inexpensive blood serum strip test meets the requirements for the first time in risk areas such as Thailand to enter the diagnostic routine and improve it significantly – a reliable alternative to expensive and time-consuming laboratory tests does not exist in the affected countries so far. Senova – industry partner in the InfectoGnostics network – is now further developing the test for the markets in Asia and Australia.