Researchers have found that many fevers of unknown origin throughout the world fall into a subgroup of rickettsial diseases which includes Q fever, Scrub Typhus, Murine Typhus, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever caused by ticks, fleas, and mites. According to an article in the Naval Medical Research Center’s publication “NMR&D News,” rickettsial infections can seriously impact operational readiness since individuals can develop severe to mild illnesses to even fatal attacks.
For example, Scrub Typhus which historically affected populations from Afghanistan and further east is now spreading to the Middle East and even South America. As a result, there is an immediate need for rapid sensitive “real-time” identification and diagnostic tools to detect infections.
The NMRC’s Viral Diseases Department located in Silver Spring Maryland, has developed new and innovative effective rickettsial diagnostic tests and potential vaccine solutions that are now ready for commercial development.
NMRC’s legal and technology transfer team has crafted multiple collaboration and licensing agreements with U.S. and international businesses to commercialize NMRC’s inventions. Currently, private industry is expressing interest in NMRC’s new generation of nucleic acid and antibody-based assays to rapidly detect infection.
NMRC is interested in hearing from companies that want to commercialize vaccines or diagnostic devices. The NMRC Office of Legal and Technology Services will work with interested companies to navigate the commercialization process.
Go to www.med.navy.mil/sites/nmrc/Pages/ott_ttf.htm for more information.
