Mast launches new test for use in syphilis screening

Mast has announced the launch of a new test to detect treponema pallidum, a spirochete bacterium that can cause a range of diseases, most commonly syphilis.

The FTA-ABS fluorescence treponema-antibody test can be used to differentiate the immunoglobulin subclasses present when syphilis screening results are determined to be positive.

Treponema pallidum antigens are immobilised on slides and a specific FITC-conjugated anti-human IgG or IgM is used to determine the individual immunoglobulin class, making it easier to diagnose syphilis serologically.

Because treponema pallidum has yet to be successfully cultured using traditional microbiological methods, traditional diagnostic tests for syphilis have been limited in number up to this point.

The manufacturer said: "The incidence of syphilis cases in England  has shown a continual increase since 1997 … reminding us that syphilis is still a disease that has not been beaten with modern diagnostics and drugs."

Mast is an independent world-class manufacturer and supplier of diagnostic products for clinical, industrial and veterinary testing, with its headquarters located in Bootle near Liverpool.