A Biotechnological Review on Patents Applied to Rubella Diagnosis.

BACKGROUND: Rubella, caused by the Rubella virus (RV), is considered a mild self-limited illness. However, RV has teratogenic potential. Laboratory investigation plays an important role in both diagnosis and surveillance of the disease. The main methods for diagnosing Rubella are serological assays for the detection of specific IgM and molecular assays for detecting viral RNA. However, some laboratories perform IgG avidity testing, virus isolation and analysis of genetic sequence as tools to help Rubella eradication. The importance of the diagnosis of Rubella involves the appropriate treatment of the disease, because the Rubella clinical symptoms may be similar to those of other diseases, and the population monitoring to avoid new emergent cases. This study addresses different methods of diagnosing Rubella and contributes as a source of knowledge to assist health systems in controlling the disease. OBJECTIVE: The main objective of this study was to review the available patents regarding Rubella diagnosis published in intellectual property databases, and provides an overview of the technologies available for the diagnosis of Rubella. METHOD: The search strategy was based on the keywords searched separately or together using a Boolean operator either in the patent title or abstract the time interval was restricted to patents filed or granted from January 2009 until February 2022. The database used was Google Patents. RESULTS: This study analyzed 24 patent documents regarding strategies for the diagnosis of Rubella. Of these, 15 patents disclose strategies for detecting Rubella antibodies, 7 patents the detection of Rubella virus nucleic acid, and 2 patents the production of antibodies applied in Rubella diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Rubella is still a public health problem in some countries, mainly those in development, especially due to congenital Rubella syndrome, which can cause malformation or fetal death. However, its diagnosis is challenging, due to similarity of symptoms with other diseases, and for this reason, laboratory diagnosis is essential. Studies like this encourage researchers and governments to invest in research to continue the development of new products, using different areas of biotechnology, to solve society's problems, especially diseases that have an impact on global health, such as Rubella.

Methods Applied to the Diagnosis of Cattle Trypanosoma vivax Infection: An Overview of the Current State of the Art.

Bovine trypanosomiasis caused by Trypanosoma vivax is a relevant disease in domestic ungulates in Latin America, causing different types of livestock losses, particularly in African and South American countries, leading to loss of millions of dollars/year related to dairy and meat production. In addition, T. vivax trypanosomiasis requires intensive veterinary care. While vector control is a feasible measure to manage disease spreading, the search for accurate diagnostic tools still represents a gap in routine veterinary practices and a challenge for the scientific community. The parasite is mechanically transmitted by fomites or by the saliva of haematophagous flies, such as Stomoxys sp. and Tabanus sp., infecting cattle as well as a number of animal hosts. The main symptoms of T. vivax bovine trypanosomiasis are apathy, fever, restricted growth, miscarriage, progressive weakness, neurological signs, pale mucous, loss of appetite, lethargy, and substantial weight loss. In most cases, the presence of animals with subclinical infections, nonspecific symptoms and without apparent parasitaemia presents a challenge when making a diagnosis, which requires accurate methods. Herein, we review state of the art concerning current methods available for the diagnosis of T. vivax bovine trypanosomiasis, focusing on clinical, parasitological, immunological and molecular approaches, highlighting the main features of each method, including "pros and cons". Overall, combining several diagnostic techniques is a better choice since it leads to fewer false negative results and contributes to better disease control.