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In a remarkable breakthrough for precision diagnostics, HaystackAnalytics infexn NGS  diagnostic test  has successfully diagnosed a 75-year-old man from Kerala, suffering from a rare infection, known as Murine Typhus caused by an intracellular bacteria or Rickettsia typhi transmitted by fleas. This remarkable achievement was made possible within 20 hours of sample collection using the  indigenous next generation sequencing based infexn™? NGS product developed by an Indian startup, HaystackAnalytics Pvt Ltd under the  Make in India initiative through the support of BIRAC. This result was later validated by Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore.

The patient had undergone a series of diagnostic tests over several months, with doctors unable to determine the cause of his persistent symptoms of body pain and fatigue. The patient had spent a significant amount on various diagnostic attempts, even sending samples overseas to the USA, without any conclusive results. After exhausting all other options, the treating physician turned to HaystackAnalytics to identify the infection.

HaystackAnalytics a homegrown IIT Bombay based startup has developed  infexn™ NGS  test, which utilizes DNA sequencing to accurately identify the pathogen directly from the sample. They use their fully automated proprietary bioinformatic application ensuring samples to report within 20 hours while accurately detecting the infection. 

Infections like Rickettsia Typhi, an elusive bacterium spread by infected fleas and several others which cannot be tested through commonly available diagnostic technologies continue to pose a huge challenge to healthcare. This timely diagnosis not only prevented further misdiagnosis but also allowed the medical team to immediately institute the appropriate therapy, leading to the patient's rapid recovery. Several infections like Rickettsia Typhi need targeted therapy to cure the patient and hence their identification plays a major role in the patient outcome.

Such next generation of advanced diagnostic technologies are offering a new hope for patients facing complex and undiagnosed health conditions, significantly reducing medical costs by enabling personalised therapy.

Dr Mahua Dasgupta Kapoor, Director, Medical Affairs (Infectious Diseases), HaystackAnalytics, commented: “Murine typhus is an illness caused by a bacteria called Rickettsia typhi, which is usually spread through bites from infected fleas that live on rats. People can get sick if they come into contact with flea droppings or urine, especially in places where rats are common. The rapid identification of Murine Typhus not only facilitated immediate medical intervention but also spared the patient from unnecessary treatments that could have arisen from misdiagnosis. Following the successful diagnosis, the patient received the appropriate antibiotics and has shown significant improvement in his condition.”

Dr. Sujeesh R, Head of the Department Critical Care at SP Medifort, stated, "In clinical practice, timely and accurate diagnosis is essential for effective treatment, particularly when dealing with rare or elusive infections. The infexn™ test by HaystackAnalytics has been a pivotal advancement in our diagnostic capabilities. In this case, the patient exhibited perplexing symptoms that had evaded diagnosis despite routine tests, including PCR. Within 20 hours, Haystack Analytics' infexn™ test identified Rickettsia typhi, a rare bacterial infection, enabling us to promptly adjust the treatment plan. Its ability to detect a wide range of infections, including hard-to-culture and uncommon pathogens, has revolutionized our diagnostic approach and patient management. This technology represents a significant leap forward in early detection and precision medicine."

The infexn™ NGS  is a genome sequencing-based diagnostic test capable of detecting pan-bacterial, pan-fungal, and now respiratory viral infections, along with identifying relevant rare and difficult-to-culture organisms, all within 20 hours. Made in India and designed for global application, infexn™ NGS  emerges as the preferred test for detecting infectious diseases. In the myriad of emerging infectious agents, infexn™ using NGS has now evolved into a versatile diagnostic tool for doctors with several leading hospitals in the country relying on infexn NGS as their go-to infection screening test for their patients.

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