CHENNAI : Scientists of the Centre for Biotechnology (CBT), Anna University and microbiologists from Christian Medical College, Vellore have devised a kit to detect diarrhoeal infection in children. The kit is the result of about four years' collaboration with microbiology experts in the United Kingdom, India and Indonesia, and biochemistry experts in Germany.

At a daylong workshop held at the CBT on Friday, about 50 students and healthcare professionals from paediatric institutions and medical college departments received hands-on experience on testing diarrhoea pathogens. The workshop was organised at the end of a four-year project on simple methods for testing diarrhoeal infection within a day. Based on the clinical data provided by CMC, the University developed the commercial testing kit.

It was been developed under the European-Asian Challenge for Childhood Diarrhoea (EACh-ChilD) project, at a cost of about one million euro (over Rs. 5.2 crore). Three Chennai hospitals have been chosen for future collaboration, said Peter H. Williams, head, Department of Genetics, University of Leicester, UK. Associated with the project since 1991, he initiated interaction between his laboratory and the CBT with the support of British Council and the University Grants Commission. Anna University professor Kalairaj and his team helped design the kit, which will be used to detect diarrhoea-causing bacteria, E.coli (persistent diarrhoea of more than 14 days) and Shigella (dysentery, bloody diarrhoea). The two bacteria are believed to cause about 20 percent of diarrhoeal cases but approximately 60 percent of them result in death. Childhood diarrhoea is often a result of poverty, overcrowding and poor nutrition. About 25 percent of death in the less than five years of age category is due to diarrhoeal infections. "This kit will help in treating the child properly and without delay," professor Williams said.

D. Viswanathan, vice chancellor of Anna University, who inaugurated the workshop, said CBT had been engaged in research related to health since its inception.

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