A new diagnostic kit developed in Northern Ireland by Dr Radha Arichandran, a research scientist with her family roots in Tamil Nadu, could help counter a potentially lethal disease endemic in many parts of India

Dr Arichandran, who works for Linnodee Diagnostics in Northern Ireland, developed a new kit to detect Leptospirosis.

The user-friendly and cost-effective test kit, known as Leptorapide, has recently been validated by the highly influential Regional Medical Research Centre at Port Blair on India’s Andaman Islands. The evaluation of Leptorapide against other competing products, funded by the World Health Organisation’s South East Regional Office, found that it was the most effective”.
 
Dr Arichandran launched the kit at Leptocon 2009, a major conference organised by the International Leptospirosis Society in Cochin.
 
Dr Ernest Logan, Managing Director of Linnodee Diagnostics,said: “We were immensely encouraged by the response the new kit, our first human diagnostic product, received at this very important conference."
 
“This validation provides us with an important marketing edge for the product, which we developed to provide an easy and cost-sensitive means to help in identifying a potentially serious disease that is often difficult to diagnose. Our test is ideal for areas with limited resources in terms of medical knowledge and funding as it doesn’t require sophisticated laboratory equipment or skilled staff."
 
“Leptorapide is a simple and highly accurate test that produces a result in three minutes. Leptospirosis, which often results from exposure to water contaminated with the urine of infected animals, can be difficult to spot because the symptoms often resemble other conditions. Many people die as a result of misdiagnosis, or diagnosis being made too late.”

Dr Radha Arichandran, Head of Research at Linnodee Diagnostics Northern Ireland, pictured with Tracy Meharg, Invest NI's Managing Director.

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