Remember when phones were for, well, making phone calls? Now it seems they can do just about everything, including detecting tiny amounts of norovirus in water samples.
Yes, indeed, a smartphone app has been developed by scientists at the University of Arizona that can detect signs of norovirus, the most common cause of very nasty gastroenteritis.
The system uses a microscope attachment for a smartphone and a separate light source. Combined they can detect as little as 10 attograms of norovirus per milliliter, which is six orders of magnitude more sensitive than other portable detectors.
So, will you be able to use your smart phone to test the drinking water on your next cruise? Well, no. But the smartphone app will allow health officials to test water sources directly, rather than having to take water samples to the lab.
The new app may also help doctors detect norovirus earlier in patients, an important step for treatment and public health.
Don’t you love smartphones?