CARB-X announced today that it is awarding up to $1 million to diagnostics and health technology company Scout to develop a rapid and inexpensive point-of-care diagnostic test for gonorrhea that could be used at sexually transmitted infection (STI) clinics and urgent care centers.

The funding will help Scout demonstrate proof-of-concept and feasibility for STI-Scout, a test that will detect and differentiate between Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomitis in 30 minutes using urine samples or vaginal swabs, at less than half the cost of other options. The test uses a proven isothermal technology that was validated for SARS-CoV-2 detection. 

The hope is that the inexpensive, easy-to-use interface could expand access to gonorrhea testing to the lowest levels of the healthcare system, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Of the roughly 82 million gonorrhea case reported globally in 2020, the highest prevalence was reported in LMICs.

Expanding access to gonorrhea testing

CARB-X (Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator) research and development director Erin Duffy, PhD, says the impact of such a test could be huge.

"There is a need for affordable, accurate, and easy-to-use tests that expand access to testing for and proper treatment of Neisseria gonorrhoeae to urgent care centers, STI clinics, and the like," Duffy said in a CARB-X press release. "Given the prevalence of gonorrhea globally, and the growing prevalence of drug-resistant gonorrhea, to diagnose quickly and affordably would allow physicians at all levels of the healthcare system to treat rapidly with the most appropriate therapy."

There is a need for affordable, accurate, and easy-to-use tests that expand access to testing for and proper treatment of Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

The test is the second diagnostic and ninth project to receive an award through CARB-X's 2022-23 funding call.

The ability to quickly walk or drive to US COVID-19 vaccination sites in the first 2 years of the pandemic ranged widely by jurisdiction and urban or rural area, which may have led to missed opportunities for uptake, according to a new study in Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) assessed the accessibility of COVID-19 vaccination sites from December 2020 to March 2022. 

The authors noted that the major barriers to vaccine coverage are transportation costs, opportunity costs, and time to travel to vaccination sites, per a previous governmental analysis. "The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has provided recommendations to jurisdictions with regard to the planning of convenient COVID-19 vaccination sites… especially those with populations of homebound persons or persons living in remote places," they wrote.

Socially vulnerable areas had greater accessibility

Of the 131,951 total vaccination sites, 57,064 were pharmacies, 35,728 were medical practices, 10,606 were community health sites, 5,222 were hospitals, and 23,331 were of unknown or other type.

Nearly half of all physically able vaccine seekers (46.6%) could walk to COVID-19 vaccination sites within 15 minutes, while 74.8% could make the journey in 30 minutes, 82.8% could be there in 45 minutes, and 86.7% could do so within 60 minutes. 

Walking time variations across jurisdictions and between urban/rural areas indicate that potential gains could have been made by improving walkability or making transportation more readily available.

In socially vulnerable areas, accessibility by walking was greater, at 55.3%, 81.1%, 86.7%, and 89.4%, respectively. Fifteen-minute walking accessibility in noncore urban areas ranged from 27.2% to 65.1%.

By car, accessibility ranged from 27.2% by 15 minutes to 52.7% by 60 minutes in noncore urban areas and 65.1% to 97.7%, respectively, in large cities. 

"Knowledge of the functional proximity to vaccine sites for different populations is essential for effective planning and for ensuring equity of health resource access in public health emergencies," the researchers wrote. "Walking time variations across jurisdictions and between urban/rural areas indicate that potential gains could have been made by improving walkability or making transportation more readily available."