One of the key challenges in reducing flu outbreaks, and the associated health and economic losses, is the length of time that it takes to diagnose patients. Earlier intervention and isolation of infected patients could potentially lead to a rapid reduction in the costs for international health agencies and save thousands of lives.
In a new collaboration between the Hilton, McKendry and Stevens laboratories, we will demonstrate that the influenza virus can be detected with chemical sensors and more importantly, that the level of infectivity can be quantified instantly using a mobile phone camera for diagnosis. This would enable the immediate analysis of infection.
The longer-term translational objective is to develop a low-cost analytical device for the quantification and classification of viral infectivity.
People: Dr Stephen Hilton, Professor Rachel McKendry, and Professor Molly Stevens
Collaborating institutions: UCL, Imperial College London
