Mylab Discovery Solutions unveils combined RT-PCR test kit for chikungunya, dengue, malaria

The test kit -- PathoDetect Extended Monsoon Fever Panel -- can differentiate malaria, chikungunya, dengue, zika, leishmaniasis, leptospirosis and salmonellosis, the company said in a statement.

If a patient goes for individual test of these seven diseases, it could cost around Rs 8,000, but with Mylab's extended monsoon panel, it will cost less than half of the amount, it added.

Mylab Discovery Solutions founder and managing director Hasmukh Rawal said the precise diagnosis of many of these diseases remains a significant challenge because of the lack of accurate and reliable diagnostic methods.

The 'Extended Monsoon Fever Panel', he said, ''will create a paradigm shift in the diagnosis of seasonal epidemic-prone diseases. Accuracy and speed of diagnosis coupled with its efficiency to distinguish the causative agents will make it an extremely beneficial method to manage these diseases''.

Rawal further said, ''There is a great opportunity for us to use the infrastructure created for control of the COVID-19 virus to monitor the mosquito-borne diseases in elimination programmes. RT-PCR is the most accurate screening solution for detecting vector-borne disease as it was in the case of COVID-19. It can prevent further spread of the diseases and aid in disease elimination.'' The company claimed its combined kit is highly accurate, user-friendly, compact and can process samples to result within 2 hours, therefore, can be implemented for mass testing.