Scientists at the University of Cambridge have developed a new test for Chlamydia which is cheaper, faster, and easier to use than those that currently exist.

The new test is able to identify more cases than existing rapid-test kits and can provide a diagnosis in less than half an hour.

Because it does not need expensive back-up equipment or highly trained staff it will be invaluable in third-world countries, particularly for high risk populations such as sex workers. In the developed world results currently can take up to two weeks and often reach few individuals, whilst screening programmes are virtually non-existent.

Over 1300 women aged 16-54 took part in trials for the kit. In 83% of cases, infection was successfully detected, despite most women showed no symptoms. This sensitivity is similar to some of the nucleic acid amplification tests used in screening programmes in the UK and elsewhere (but which often take weeks). The evaluation of the new test appears in this week's British Medical Journal.

The samples are tested using a unique Signal Amplification System. This technology greatly improves the sensitivity of rapid testing. The swift result - which shows in a similar way to a marker line in a pregnancy test - allows infected individuals to undergo immediate counselling and treatment.

The Wellcome Trust and the US National Institutes of Health funded work on the test, which was conducted by a team at the Diagnostics Development Unit, University of Cambridge, headed by Dr. Helen Lee.

Dr. Lee said, "Chlamydia is a silent disease with serious health consequences. The faster it is diagnosed, the sooner treatment can begin, reducing the risk of complications and preventing onward transmission."

Chlamydia is one of the world's most common sexual infections, affecting one in ten sexually active young adults. In England, the infection has increased by more than 200% in the past decade. There are no symptoms in 70% of cases but the disease can cause infertility in men and women if left untreated.

Dr. Lourdes Mahilum-Tapay, who led the clinical trials, said: “The beauty of the test is that it can be used in a clinic in London or the Philippines. It is robust, easy to use and provides the opportunity to test and treat while the patient is still in the clinic.”

Penny Barber, Chief Executive of the Brook in Birmingham, one of the hospitals where the trials took place, said “The new Chlamydia rapid test is about more than speed of treatment for positive clients. All clients benefit from the relief a rapid result gives. For clinics, there is a strong business case for a method that cuts out the logistics and cost of transporting samples, sending results back and then contacting clients.”

Dr. Lee and colleagues have established a spin-out company for the product, Diagnostics for the Real World. They plan to provide the tests at virtually cost price to developing countries. This will be subsidised by charging the market price in the developed world.

Dr Lee's research teams at the university and their spin-out company Diagnostics for the Real World were recently awarded $50,000 as the winner of the 2007 Tech Museum Awards (USA) in the Health Category for the Signal Amplification System they developed, technology that underpins and improves the sensitivity of rapid tests.

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