Difference between revisions of "Team:Warwick/Human Practices"
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<h3> Lymes Disease </h3> | <h3> Lymes Disease </h3> | ||
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<p>Lymes disease is the most common vector-borne human infection in England and Wales, caused by bites from ticks containing the bacteria Borrelia burgdoferi. These ticks are found throughout the UK, in Northern and Central Europe and North America, commonly in woodland and heathland areas. Approximately 30,000 cases are reported to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the U.S every year, however it is estimated that 300,000 people contract the disease and are not reported <sup>[1]</sup>. There are 2000-3000 newly confirmed cases in the U.K each year, with 15% being contracted abroad <sup>[2]</sup>. Our project will help to diagnose people who have the disease early enough to prevent irreversible and life-long damage to their body.</p> | <p>Lymes disease is the most common vector-borne human infection in England and Wales, caused by bites from ticks containing the bacteria Borrelia burgdoferi. These ticks are found throughout the UK, in Northern and Central Europe and North America, commonly in woodland and heathland areas. Approximately 30,000 cases are reported to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the U.S every year, however it is estimated that 300,000 people contract the disease and are not reported <sup>[1]</sup>. There are 2000-3000 newly confirmed cases in the U.K each year, with 15% being contracted abroad <sup>[2]</sup>. Our project will help to diagnose people who have the disease early enough to prevent irreversible and life-long damage to their body.</p> | ||
Revision as of 16:06, 1 August 2016
Lymes Disease
Lymes disease is the most common vector-borne human infection in England and Wales, caused by bites from ticks containing the bacteria Borrelia burgdoferi. These ticks are found throughout the UK, in Northern and Central Europe and North America, commonly in woodland and heathland areas. Approximately 30,000 cases are reported to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the U.S every year, however it is estimated that 300,000 people contract the disease and are not reported [1]. There are 2000-3000 newly confirmed cases in the U.K each year, with 15% being contracted abroad [2]. Our project will help to diagnose people who have the disease early enough to prevent irreversible and life-long damage to their body.
Oral antibiotics are prescribed when Lymes disease is suspected, due to presence of a circular expanding rash. To confirm presence of disease, antibody screening and immunoblotting is completed. However, these blood tests take weeks and can show a negative result in early stages of the disease [3].
Our novel system aims to help diagnose Lymes disease at its early stage to increase the likelihood of successful treatment. To confirm presence of disease, antibody screening and immunoblotting is completed. However, these blood tests take weeks and can show a negative result in early stages of the disease. Treatment with antibiotics can be effective, if the disease is detected early, so our novel system aims to help diagnose Lymes disease at its early stage to increase the likelihood of successful treatment.
The development of a paper based technology will allow easy world-wide transport, storage and usage of our biosensor. This can be implemented in developed countries, through health services (e.g. NHS in the UK), and in developing countries, through the form of foreign aid and aid workers. For other diagnosis tests a laboratory is required, however our paper based biosensor does not need this. This results in the product being commercially available to everyone as, once freeze dried, it can be stored in a dry environment indefinitely.
Heavy Metal Poisoning
Heavy metal poisoning occurs when toxic amounts of metals such as lead, mercury, arsenic or cadmium accumulates in soft tissues of the body due to exposure, such as ingestion of contaminated food or water, in medicines or occupational exposure. The effects depend on age of exposure and level of exposure. Many systems in the body may be effected and in some cases, symptoms may be life-threatening. Diagnosis may be based on clinical symptoms or blood tests for example for the presence of lead. We aim to design a modular system which can be adapted to recognise and indicate the presence of various metals which could cause heavy metal poisoning.
In just a single year lead exposure will kill 143,000 people, intellectually disable 600,000 children and will trigger 750,000 strokes [6, 7]. The majority of these cases are within developing countries. Over 500,000 children each year suffer from loss of IQ associated with excessive mercury uptake. The loss of productivity caused by the symptoms associated with mercury poisoning results in a significant economic loss of $ 8.7 billion annually [8].
Our team have chosen to develop a system capable of detecting these ions in water sources, potentially improving the quality of human life on a global scale, in an inexpensive easily accessible manner.
