icddr,b scientists in partnership with Incepta Pharmaceuticals have  developed a  locally-produced dipstick named Cholkit for rapid, early and effective diagnosis of cholera in Bangladesh and beyond. Following a rigorous three year research and development process, the rapid diagnostic test (RDT) has successfully met requirements and guidelines for such tests, which are capable of detecting Vibrio cholerae from stools. Cholkit is an immunochromatographic test device – a dipstick that is dipped into a tube with stool specimen and provides qualitative result readable by the naked eye within a maximum of 15 minutes’ time, says a press release.

Globally, an estimated 1.3 billion people are at risk of cholera. In Bangladesh, at least 66 million people are at risk of the disease, with nearly 110,000 cases reported annually with many more mild and asymptomatic cases in the community.  The Incepta produced Cholkit is now being used in 22 cholera sentinel surveillance sites across Bangladesh which are managed jointly by icddr,b and Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control And Research (IEDCR).