Researchers at AIIMS Chennai have achieved a significant breakthrough in dengue fever detection, developing a rapid-test kit that can identify the dengue virus within 15 minutes.
The kit, which costs only ₹85 per test, requires just a single drop of blood and produces results with 96.4% accuracy — comparable to expensive laboratory tests.
Dr Priya Chandrasekaran, who led the research team, said the kit could be a game-changer for rural Tamil Nadu where laboratory access is limited.
Tamil Nadu Health Minister Dr Ma Subramanian announced the state government will procure 50 lakh kits in the first phase for distribution to all government primary health centres.
The development comes as Tamil Nadu records a 23% spike in dengue cases this year compared to the same period last year.