Hosted by Bridgett Malatji, CSIR Laboratory Technologist

HIV/AIDS mortality is due to opportunistic illnesses or infections that take advantage of the weakened immune system in infected individuals. In Africa, one of the most common of these opportunistic illnesses include infection by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) responsible for tuberculosis (TB). HIV coinfection with M.tb has negative implication for disease management, given that each pathogen accelerates the morbidity caused by the other. Effective management of patients infected with both pathogens is restricted by the fact that their diagnosis are done separately. The situation is more difficult in remote areas where patients have to wait for much longer to obtain their TB diagnostic results. The CSIR seeks to respond to this need by developing a point-of-care multiplex microarray technology for simultaneous detection of HIV and M.tb in blood that will reduce time and cost associated with the diagnosis of these diseases.