The Butantan Institute is creating a protein capable of tracking leptospirosis bacteria in advance

In a scientific sample published in the Journal of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases, researchers from the Butantan Institute explained the process they used to create a protein capable of recognizing bacteria. Leptospiraresponsible for transmitting leptospirosis to humans and animals.

The protein created is entirely synthetic, and to design it, scientists copied parts of the protein itself. Leptospira. The tests that followed the formation of the protein were very promising, succeeding in up to 82% of attempts.

According to infectious scientists who specialize in leptospirosis, which is transmitted through contact with urine Rodents It is not easily detected in the first days of infection.

This is because after Leptospira It penetrates the body, and it takes up to 10 days for the immune system to create antibodies that fight the pathogen. Therefore the use of MAT tests, which are currently most common, becomes useless at this time period.

However, tracking the disease is essential to ensure the effectiveness of proposed treatments, because even during the incubation period Leptospira It is already active in the human body, and the faster it is neutralized, the less harm it causes.

Researcher Ana Lucia Tabet Oller Nascimento, who works in the Vaccine Development Laboratory in ButantanHe explains that detecting leptospirosis quickly is a guarantee of the quality of life of those infected.

Moreover, the scientist explains that the test created in Butantan is effective because it works with several strains of the virus LeptospiraThis facilitates detection and reduces diagnostic errors.

“It is worth noting that the standard test has an important epidemiological nature and should continue to be applied. This is because it contains cultures of Leptospira bacteria with different serotypes, which helps to identify the most widespread or epidemic-causing type. [que causam doença] “They have more than 200 serotypes,” she said.

Due to its efficient structure, the test achieved 99% specificity. In other words, it will not specify existence Leptospira Neither pathogens nor antibodies from other diseases, only those created by the immune system to fight leptospirosis.