Almost four billion people, 40% of the world’s population, are at risk of Dengue fever.
According to the World Health Organisation, there are 25,000 deaths per year from Dengue fever, which has increased 30-fold over the last 40 years.
Previously concentrated in developing countries, the disease is now increasingly being found in Europe and the United States. That transmission is caused by population growth, global warming, and an increase in mosquito numbers. Dengue fever is expected to spread further in developed countries in the coming years
The Problem
Current lateral flow tests are not sensitive enough to detect the disease, and so hospitalisation and large blood samples are required.
But early diagnosis is critical, as severe Dengue fever has a fatality rate of 20%.
If diagnosed and treated quickly, the fatality rate drops to 1%.
SwiftDx Value
SwiftDx’s affordable, easy to use, and highly sensitive lateral flow tests would allow rapid and simple community level diagnosis of Dengue fever, potentially saving hundreds of thousands of lives.