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Development of Rapid Diagnostics and the Establishment of an Alert System for Outbreaks of Yellow Fever and Rift Valley Fever in Kenya

Infectious Diseases Control

Republic of Kenya

Finished

Development of Rapid Diagnostics and the Establishment of an Alert System for Outbreaks of Yellow Fever and Rift Valley Fever in Kenya

Using mobile phones to contain arbovirus outbreaks!

Principal Investigator

- Prof.
  MORITA Koichi
  Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University

ODA Recipient Country

Republic of Kenya

Research Institutions in Japan

Nagasaki University

Research Institutions in Counterpart Country

Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI)

Adoption fiscal year

FY 2011

Research Period

5 Years

Overview of the Research Project

Applying Japanese diagnostic techniques for the detection of infectious diseases in Africa
Outbreaks of zoonotic arboviral diseases* including yellow fever and Rift Valley fever are frequent in Kenya and other African countries. We will apply diagnostic technology developed in Nagasaki University to produce affordable and rapid diagnostic kits including point-of-care (POC) test kits to be used in peripheral healthcare facilities and local communities. These kits will facilitate early identification of disease outbreaks. An outbreak early warning sytem through the use of mobile phones is currently being established to effectively and rapidly relay information from peripheral areas to the central government. In collaboration with WHO and other international organizations, we envisage to share this technology with the neighboring countries to create an international outbreak alert system for rapid containment of outbreaks.
* Viral diseases spread to people and vertebrate animals through arthropod vectors such as mosquitoes and ticks.

Developing simplified diagnostic kits and building a nationwide early warning network
Point-of-care test kits will be developed, evaluated and tailored to local needs. In addition, scientific research will be carried out to assess the effectiveness of the bi-directional mobile phone outbreak alert system model that connects peripheral health facilities and the central government. This system will be established through collaborations with the Ministry of Health and a university in Kenya.

Photo gallery

A rapid diagnostic kit for arboviral diseases (including yellow fever and Rift Valley fever) is under development through collaboration with KEMRI.

African forestland harbors many arboviruses.

KEMRI's Busia branch and its staff, who play important roles in evaluation of new test kits developed in the project

The Production Department in KEMRI Headquarters in Nairobi, where new point-of-care tests for arboviruses are being developed by Kenyan and Japanese researchers