New Serochip Blood-Test Promises to be the First Multiplex Test for Tick-Borne Diseases

            Scientists at the Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public health have released a research report in the Journal Nature, detailing their development of a new multiplex blood-test for tick-borne diseases (TBD). Dubbed the TBD Serochip the new test can simultaneously identify exposure to any of eight tick-borne pathogens, including 3 viral pathogens: Heartland virus, Powassan virus, and the newly discovered Long Island tick rhabdovirus. The diagnostic is also designed to be easily upgradable. Researchers say they can modify the TBD Serochip to include new tick-borne agents in as little as four weeks.

Ticks are a frequent vector for many nasty disease, both bacterial and viral

          The device promises to both quicken medical diagnostics and accelerate scientific research into TBDs. It replaces a slew of devices and diagnostic tests with limited diagnostic accuracy, subjective criteria, and prolonged wait time. Lyme disease, the most common TBD in the US and a major pathogen detected by the TBD Serochip, previously required two separate tests to diagnose, and these only accurately identified 40% of patients with early disease. For Powassan and Heartland virus, this will be the first diagnostic test available outside of specialized laboratories.

           

          The research group has filed preliminary patents of the device, but there is no word yet as to how soon the diagnostic will be ready for the market.

-J. Cole Holderman

The Paper

The Article