Many sexually transmitted infections manifest with overlapping symptoms but require vastly different treatments. Early symptoms of syphilis, for example, include genital sores that are difficult to distinguish from those caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV). Without rapid, multi-pathogen testing, clinicians may rely solely on symptoms or test for a single infection, increasing the risk of misdiagnosis and delayed care.

How the new test works

A study published March 3 in The Lancet Microbe describes the tool in detail: a next-generation CRISPR-based diagnostic that can simultaneously detect and distinguish between the DNA and RNA of multiple pathogens at the same time. In addition to syphilis, the test identifies the bacterial and viral causes of other sexually transmitted infections including herpes, chlamydia and gonorrhea, while also detecting a key antibiotic-resistance marker in gonorrhea at the point of care, a critical advance amid growing global antimicrobial resistance.