THE time it takes to detect polio can be halved, thanks to a technique called Direct molecular Detection and Nanopore Sequencing (DDNS).
New research supported by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) showed that DDNS tests done over a six-month period were 23 days faster on average than the standard method, with an accuracy rate of more than 99%.
The technique enables stool samples to be tested in the country where the outbreak began instead of being sent to specialist laboratories abroad.
As a result, lengthy transport times are cut and delays in detection are reduced, allowing authorities to respond faster to outbreaks.
Similiar techniques have been used to detect COVID-19, Ebola, measles and monkeypox.
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