Breathalyzer-Type Test Might Be Possible As Malaria Diagnostic Tool, Research Suggests

Public Radio International: Could a test for malaria be as easy as a breathalyzer?
“…[A] group of scientists in Missouri [is] working on a groundbreaking method to test for the disease that, if successful, could save time, money, and most importantly, lives. What is it? A malaria-styled breathalyzer. … Th[e] research, recently published in the journal mBio, indicates that the malaria parasite produces a class of compounds which might attract mosquitoes. Meaning that: if mosquitoes can smell the malaria-born compounds then they should also be detectable through a noninvasive test similar to a breathalyzer, without the need for a microscope or blood sample…” (Goyette, 4/5).

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