Prototype of the FebriDx® diagnostic tool, using a fingerstick blood sample to detect and differentiate between viral and bacterial acute respiratory infections in 10 minutes, assembled by Rapid Pathogen Screening Inc., a subsidiary of Lumos Diagnostics, including computer print out to demonstrate FebriDx results, 2019

Named after the word febrile, meaning the symptoms of a fever, and febrile respiratory tract infections and dx which is shorthand for the word diagnosis, the FebriDx® is designed to be used by healthcare at the point of care in a clinic, or hospital. A small inbuilt lancet is used to a blood sample. This fingerpick sample is then collected by a tube and mixed with a buffer solution to test for two things: Myxovirus resistance protein A (MxA), a marker for viral infections or C-reactive protein (CRP) for bacterial infections. Colour coded lines give the result – a blue line shows the test is working, a red line reveals a viral infection, and a black line indicates a bacterial infection.

Knowing if a person has a bacterial or viral respiratory infection helps make decisions about what treatment options there are. Antibiotics can only be used for bacterial infections. Prior to the development of this device, testing for these markers took 1-2 days, meaning it was not used to assess acute respiratory infections. The FebriDx® is a portable, single use, device without the need for additional, expensive equipment.

Developed as an entry for the Longitude Prize, this device is now available on the market and used across Europe, Australia, Malaysia, and Singapore. The Prize is a £8m fund for a diagnostic test that will be accurate, rapid, affordable, and easy to use anywhere in the world to ensure that antibiotics are used responsibly in the face of growing antibiotic resistance.