Filipino invention on dengue worthy of international award

May I congratulate Dr. Raul Destura for being given the Outstanding Technology Commercialization Award for his first successful commercialization of Biotek-M Dengue Aquakit. (“Microbiologist vs dengue leads science awardees,” Front Page, 7/31/16).

For me, this would have been an international award for Destura because it is the first rapid testing kit for dengue that takes only one hour to come up with the results, and it is less costly; unlike the Polymerase Chain Reaction Technology, which is expensive and where results become available only after several days.

Now, the main problem of this kit is that it cannot differentiate between the dengue fever (DF) minor form from the more serious and fatal dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF). As we have pointed out before (“Dengue cases need not fill hospitals,” Opinion, 8/14/16), DF must be treated at home and DHF absolute hospitalization.

May I, therefore, request Doctor Destura if there is a possibility for Biotek-M Dengue Aquakit to detect the minor and serious forms of dengue from the viral load of the patient’s blood so as to prevent overcrowding in hospitals admitting both DF and DHF. This will translate into less load for hospital workers and savings for patients.

—ELISEO R. REBLANDO, MD, FPAFP, DFM, director, Sta. Veronica General Clinic, Olongapo City