This is the first time that a quick and sensitive lateral-flow test for Mucormycosis has been reported, providing a point-of-care test for the disease.
Using purified EPS from human-pathogenic mucoralean fungi, the LFD was shown to be species-specific, detecting Rhizopus arrhizus (syn. R. oryzae) only
The sensitivity of the LFD was determined using EPS from R. arrhizus var. arrhizus (CBS112.07) diluted into the running buffer. Using both a score card and a Cube reader there were sequential and significant decreases in test (T) line intensities with increases in EPS concentrations between 0 μg EPS/mL (running buffer only) and 10 μg EPS/mL. Based on these results, the analytical limit of detection (LOD) was shown to be ~50 ng EPS/mL for the running buffer, using both scoring systems.