Neonatal sepsis research team with Hon Stephen Dawson WA Minister for Science and Innovation; Medical Research. Credit: Murdoch University

Testing newborn babies for sepsis could become faster and more accurate, reducing complications and deaths, thanks to the development of a Western Australia–led point-of-care neonatal sepsis test.

Murdoch University Professor Andrew Currie, who is leading the project in partnership with Child and Adolescent Health Service clinical professor Tobias Strunk at King Edward Memorial Hospital Neonatology Services, said neonatal sepsis contributes to significant morbidity and mortality annually in Australia.

"Neonatal sepsis is a critical global health challenge demanding urgent attention in Australia, especially in remote locations where delayed diagnoses are experienced," Currie said.

"Existing early diagnostic blood tests are limited and require time-consuming hospital-based analysis rarely found outside tertiary hospitals, particularly in low- to middle-income countries.

"Delayed or incorrect diagnosis increases mortality risk, long-term adverse outcomes and inappropriate antibiotic use."

Currie and his team are developing PreSep-4, a rapid point-of-care blood test for neonatal sepsis. PreSep-4 is compatible with cutting-edge Australian lateral flow assay (LFA) detection technology.

The test uses four biomarkers to achieve more than 95% accuracy in diagnosing neonatal sepsis at the first suspicion of sepsis, up from the current 60% accuracy rate, and won't require any specialist equipment to perform.

The biomarkers used are key molecules in the sepsis pathway, identified through advanced proteomics and a machine learning–based diagnostic selection pipeline. These were discovered in WA newborns enrolled in the international PROTECT trial led by Strunk.

New equipment provided to the project team, including an automated lateral flow reagent dispenser (ALFRD) and a Lumos Leelu lateral flow assay reader, is enabling the team to accelerate the development of the PreSep-4 prototype for validation.

"We are currently in the early prototype development phase, with formal analytical and clinical validation still ahead of us.

The pace of progress is heavily dependent on securing sustained funding before the product is ready for clinical deployment globally.

Once optimized, the plan is to evaluate the use of PreSep-4 initially in the NICU at King Edward Memorial Hospital, with plans for a broader rollout with our international clinical partners."

The project team is partnering with Biotome Pty Ltd, a Perth-based diagnostics startup experienced in diagnostic test development.

Provided by Murdoch University

Source: MedicalXpress

Original article: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-faster-accurate-newborn-sepsis.html