Zika self-test kits launched
Philab Industries Inc. will soon launch a self-test kit that will help detect Zika virus at the first sign of symptoms.
Hector Thomas Navasero, Philab president and chief executive officer, said the company hopes to launch the test kit before the year ends.
“We are now in the last stages of securing a certification from the Food and Drug Administration,” Navasero said.
According to Navasero, the self-test kits will empower patients and individuals in far-flung communities because time is a resource too valuable for the sick.
“The self-test kits will yield results within 20 minutes. If it is positive, then the patient should go to the hospital so proper medication can be administered by the doctors,” he said.
Zika virus is a mosquito-borne infection that increased the number of children being born with unusually small heads — identified as microcephaly — in Brazil.
Recently, the Department of Health has confirmed six cases of Zika virus infection in the country; the most recent is in Iloilo City — a 45-year-old lady. Five other cases have been detected since 2012.
Despite the increase in reported cases, the World Health Organization (WHO) is yet to determine the exact incubation period. WHO said the symptoms are similar to other arbovirus infections such as dengue, and include fever, skin rashes, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pains, malaise, and headache. These symptoms are usually mild and last for two to seven days.
Health experts said the virus is primarily transmitted to individuals through the bite of an infected mosquito, mainly Aedes aegypti in tropical regions.
WHO noted that the Aedes mosquitoes usually bite during the day, peaking during early morning and late afternoon/evening. This is the same mosquito that transmits dengue, chikunguny, and yellow fever. Sexual transmission of Zika virus is also possible. Other modes of transmission, such as blood transfusion, are being investigated.
Recently, Philab launched the country’s first-ever self-test kits meant to detect dengue virus among patients. The dengue self-test kit is a two-inch plastic strip that contains chemicals that react to N-S1 protein. NS1 protein is present among individuals infected by the dengue virus.
Meanwhile, the Zika self-test kits will soon be available in drugstores nationwide at less than P200 per test kit.
Navasero said the test kits would complement the services rendered by doctors and testing centers in diagnostic and health care institutions.